


Kindred

by MsCheveley



Category: Batman (Comics), Batman - All Media Types, DCU (Comics), Nightwing (Comics), Red Hood and the Outlaws (Comics)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Angst and Feels, Angst and Humor, Angst and Tragedy, Bat Brothers, Bat Family, Emotional/Psychological Abuse, F/M, Fluff and Humor, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, Major Character Injury, Past Abuse
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-11
Updated: 2017-08-11
Packaged: 2018-11-13 20:26:30
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 28
Words: 77,713
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11192796
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MsCheveley/pseuds/MsCheveley
Summary: "Are you okay?" she asked.He grinned. "That's my line."It had been an easy save, just another damsel. But their paths kept intertwining no matter how hard they both resisted. She had moved here to start over; not to repeat the same mistakes. He had his hands full with a new villain who's reach was beyond Bludhaven; not to mention negotiating the minefield that is his family.





	1. Keep You Safe

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> She'd invited him him up. Sure lots of girls had, but this was different. She only had one thing in mind: playing doctor. For real.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello my old heart  
> It's been so long  
> Since I've given you away  
> And every day I add another stone  
> To the walls I built around you  
> To keep you safe  
> "Hello My Old Heart" - The Oh Hellos

Madilyn grumbled to herself as she walked home. The melted snow had refrozen and become extremely slick under her feet. The normally short walk from the gym to her apartment building had become an agonizingly long slip and slide. Now the only thing that stood between her and a warm cup of tea was a two lane road. It might as well have been the Red Sea for as uncrossable it seemed.

_I can do this. I will not fall down._

It wasn't fear of humiliation that made her heart pound. It was knowing that at this hour, no one would be around to help her. If she fell and hit her head, she probably freeze to death outside before anybody found her.

She gingerly stepped down off the curb. The road was as much of an ice rink as the sidewalk. She gathered her courage and started across. _I am Michelle Kwan. I am Katarina Witt. ___

____

WHAM.

____

_Ooouch._

____

Madi had fallen flat on her butt in the middle of the street. _Classic. _She laughed ruefully; knowing that her backside would smart in the morning but relieved she was otherwise unhurt.__

______ _ _

Relief became panic in the blinding lights of the truck that had turned down the street. She scrambled to stand but couldn't get any traction to move.

______ _ _

“Stop!” Madi screamed, knowing the driver would never hear her over the engine. They weren't slowing down. They didnt see her.

______ _ _

She closed her eyes and braced for the impact.

______ _ _

It hit her like a ton of bricks, knocking the wind out of her. She felt her body roll to the far side of the road.

______ _ _

_Oomph. Yeow... Wait...If it hurts I'm still alive. How am I still alive?_

______ _ _

“I'm not dead.”

______ _ _

“Well, I'd hope not,” said a male voice. "Then my daring feat would have been for nothing."

______ _ _

The voice belonged to the weight on top of her and the black mask inches away from her face. She gasped, and the masked stranger sat up.

______ _ _

“Did you just-? How did-?” Madi stammered, stopping when she noticed a small trail of blood running down his forehead. “Are you okay?”

______ _ _

He grinned. “That's my line.”

______ _ _

She sat up, pointing to his forehead. “No, you're bleeding.”

______ _ _

He touched a gloved hand to his forehead. “It's nothing. I must've scraped it on the pavement.”

______ _ _

The blood wasn't letting up. She sighed. _I can't even enjoy being a damsel in distress for two minutes._

______ _ _

“No, it's not nothing,” she said. “It could get infected." Madi wrinkled her nose. "Who knows what nastiness is lurking on this road. My apartment is right here. Let me take a look and clean it up. Then you can go back to helping people cross the street.”

______ _ _

He stood, and she saw the outline of blue against black on his chest. He twisted his mouth slightly and appeared to be thinking it over. He extended his hand to help her upright.

______ _ _

“Where _exactly _is your apartment?” he inquired.__

________ _ _ _ _

“Look up,” she answered and pointed. “Last one on the right. Top floor. See the cat in the window watching us?”

________ _ _ _ _

He looked back at her, and she could've sworn he raised an eyebrow under his mask. “A cat?”

________ _ _ _ _

Madi rolled her eyes. “What? Do you think _all _women with cats are out to get you?"__

__________ _ _ _ _ _ _

Any righteous indignation she had for her fellow feline owners was lost when her feet slipped out from under her again. She grabbed onto him to keep from falling, but his quick reflexes had already caught her. He scooped her up and carried her to the entrance of her building.

__________ _ _ _ _ _ _

“I would carry you across the threshold, but that might be a little forward for our first date,” he said as he set her down. “I'll meet you up there.”

__________ _ _ _ _ _ _

***

__________ _ _ _ _ _ _

_Oh. My. God. That just happened. This is happening. Nightwing just saved her life. Nightwing is about to be in my apartment. ___

____________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

The elevator doors opened, and she walked down the hall. _Be cool, Madi. He's just a patient. Just like any other patient. _She opened her door, and had to stifle a scream when she turned on the light.__

______________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

He was already inside, sitting at her kitchen counter, reading a magazine, and holding pressure with some gauze on his forehead.

______________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“The window was unlocked,” he said nonchalantly, then pointed to what he'd been looking at. “Interesting reading material.”

______________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

She looked at the magazine. It was one of her medical journals. “I, um, have pig’s feet in the fridge too,” she said, a bit frazzled.

______________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

He looked at her quizzically.

______________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“For practicing sutures,” she said quickly. “I'm not a psycho or anything. Anyway, I'll just go get the first aid kit.” She spun on her heel and hurried toward the bathroom before she could say anything else stupid.

______________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“I fed the cat.”

______________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

She turned around. “What?”

______________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“I fed the cat. He seemed hungry.”

______________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Sure enough, there was Phineas happily munching away. “Um, thanks. How long have you been in here?”

______________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“A few minutes. Getting into places is kind of what I do.” He gave her another charming smile. _No. A smirk. ___

________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“Right,” Madi nodded her head. _Gosh, he's cute. _“I'll be right back.” _Get a grip, Madi. _____

___________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

She closed the bathroom door and braced herself against it. She took a couple of centering breaths, and then proceeded to look for the needed supplies. “I have pig’s feet in the fridge,” she muttered to herself, “Real smooth.”

___________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“What's the cat’s name?”

___________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

She reopened the door. “The cat? Um, Phineas. Or Phinny. Depends if he's being cute or naughty. I found him on the street when he was a kitten right after I moved to here. He must've gotten separated from his mom somehow. Anyway, he's been keeping me company ever since.”

___________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“How long ago was that?”

___________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“About two years ago.” She set about cleaning the cut on his forehead; the work calming her nerves. “This is might sting a little. Sorry.” She applied a styptic solution to stop the bleeding. “Well, you don't need stitches. Which is a good thing because I don't have any Lidocaine to numb you. But you do need to keep it covered and use an ointment on it to minimize scarring. You wouldn't want something so little to give away your true identity. Have you ever used this before?” She held up a bottle of a liquid skin bandage. “It will be more discrete than putting a bandaid on it. Although, I do think I have some Strawberry Shortcake BandAids around here somewhere, if you’d prefer?”

___________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

He chuckled. “Hmm, tempting, but I'll pass.”

___________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“Suit yourself,” Madi shrugged and applied the protective liquid. “Personally, I think nothing strikes fear into a criminal’s heart more than the sight of a pink bandaid.”

___________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“What's your name?” he asked.

___________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“Madi Wood. Madilyn. Just Madi.”

___________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“Does it matter if you're being cute or naughty?” There was a playful smile on his lips.

___________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

She opened her mouth to reply, but no sound came out. _Was Nightwing flirting with me? _She swallowed and tried to speak again. “I would like to check you for a concussion, but, with those lenses in your mask, I can't see your eyes.”__

_____________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_She’s thorough. _He knew he didn't have one but went along with it anyway. “Oh, no problem.” He tapped the side of his mask, and the whiteout lenses slid away. "Better?"__

_______________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

His eyes were startlingly blue with a mischievous glint to them. Madi was taken aback by them for a second. Then she picked up a small flashlight from her first aid kit and checked his pupils. “Good,” she murmured to herself. “Now follow my finger with your eyes.” He complied. “Nice.”

_______________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“What? My results or my eyes?” he teased again.

_______________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Madi blushed slightly but raised an eyebrow. She would _not _give him the satisfaction of flustering her any more than he already had and decided to keep going; even though it was evident he was concussion free.__

_________________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

She cleared her throat to create an air of authority. “Name?”

_________________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“Nightwing.”

_________________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“What day is it?”

_________________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“When I left tonight it was Wednesday, but I think it might be Thursday now, making it February 23.”

_________________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“Do you know where you are?”

_________________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

He smiled impishly. "Well, outside is apparently part of Dante's inferno," he teased referring to what he'd overheard from her earlier. " At the moment, I'm sitting in the kitchen of the fair lady I rescued earlier; who seems to have decided that _I _was the one in need of assistance.”__

___________________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

An indignant sound escaped her, and she bit her lip. His eyes were drawn to her mouth. “Any nausea? Dizziness?” 

___________________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“Nope.”

___________________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“Well, if anything changes, stop playing hero and get yourself some real medical attention.”

___________________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“Yes, Doctor Wood.”

___________________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“It's Madi. Then I think we're all finished here. You're good as new. You can go back to working the streets again.” He smiled again, holding back a laugh. _Argh. _“I mean that in a non-gigolo kind of way.” She removed her gloves and ran her fingers through his thick black hair to pull it down over his forehead. “Good thing your hair can hide it until it heals.” She turned around to throw away the soiled materials.__

_____________________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“I guess I'll be going then. Thank you, Madi.”

_____________________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“You're we-” He was already gone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, a word about the world created here. I've cherry picked events from different universes and continuities. The characters are a bit older than most current timelines.
> 
> I welcome the feedback as this has been a huge exercise in character development and storytelling. I'm stretching muscles I haven't used in a long time.


	2. See Me Standing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Madi was not impressed. In fact, she was annoyed. She'd been knocked down enough, in more ways than one, and was not about to get tangled up with the likes of Dick Grayson.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Stone cold, stone cold  
> You see me standing, but I'm dying on the floor   
> Stone cold, stone cold  
> Maybe if I don't cry, I won't feel anymore

_“Good morning, Bludhaven. It's going to be another cold one to-”_

Madi hit the reset on her alarm. The winter sun was already streaming through her window. She felt four paws creeping towards her, her official alarm clock.

“Morning, Phinny.”

He sat looking at her in expectation. She closed her eyes and pretended to go back to sleep. It didn't take long before she felt his wet nose and whiskers tickling her face.

“Okay. I’m up.”

Meow, he said and ran out of the room, straight to his food dish as usual. She walked into the kitchen and saw the open journal. _So it wasn't a dream. _She felt her backside and found it to be sore where she had fallen on the ice.__

____

_But no time to linger on yesterday. _It was going to be another busy day. She had to go to Gotham today. She found her favorite playlist and began her morning routine.__

______ _ _

***

______ _ _

_What am I doing back here? _Dick Grayson chastised himself as he gazed out over the rooftop. From his perch, he could see over the harbor and the faint outlines of Gotham in the distance. If he didn't know any better, the view was almost pleasant. But he hadn't come here to watch the sunrise. Honestly, he didn't know why he was here at all.__

________ _ _ _ _

The night had been surprisingly quiet. Even the bad guys hadn't wanted to be out in this weather. Only one notable thing had happened. Madi Wood. He'd saved her from being run over after she had fallen in the street. She'd been coming home way too late at night to be safe and decided had to keep an eye on her to make sure she got home unscathed. Her humorous grumbling had been entertaining as she'd struggling to stay upright on the icy sidewalk. When she'd changed the lyrics of "Walking in a Winter Wonderland" to "Walking in the Ninth Circle of Hell," it had been hard not to laugh out loud. Their interaction had been short, but he'd replayed it in his mind throughout the night.

________ _ _ _ _

Now he found himself back here, watching her from the opposing rooftop of an abandoned warehouse. _Like a peeping tom. _She pulled out an exercise mat and started stretching. _Impressive. _She had been in workout attire last night, but he hadn't expected her to be at this level. She was obviously someone who took physical conditioning seriously. He watched as she started her Pilates routine. _Wow. _______

___________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

He felt his phone vibrate; the high tech device that served as both his civilian mobile and his remote communicator. Apple had nothing on Wayne Tech R & D. The ID flashed up in his lenses. It was a friend and colleague, but he was calling on his civilian line.

___________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“Hey, Luke,” he answered.

___________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“Morning, Dick. I'm sorry to call so early and with bad news, but... Dad had a heart attack late last night.”

___________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“Oh, my god. Luke, is he okay?”

___________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“I think so. He’s resting right now. I just thought you'd want to know.”

___________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“Of course, yeah. Thanks, man," he said guiltily. Lucius had been a long time family friend and ally; always making certain Dick had the latest gear. Especially when he wasn't getting it through the normal channels. Like of late. "I'm sorry. Look, I'll be over there as soon as I can.”

___________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“We'll see you when you get here.”

___________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

***

___________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Dick stepped onto the cardiac floor of Gotham General Hospital. It had been months since he'd been in Gotham. The last time hadn't gone so well. He turned the corner and saw a doctor talking with Bruce Wayne and Luke Fox. He decided hang back and wait until they were finished.

___________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“Where have you been?”

___________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

The tall teenager had come out of nowhere, wearing his customary scowl.

___________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“Hey, Damian. Have you been here long?”

___________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“Longer than you. Where have you been?” he demanded again.

___________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“I've been working, Damian.”

___________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“That never stopped you before.”

___________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Dick sighed. “How's Lucius?”

___________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“Doctor said he should make a full recovery.”

___________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“That's good.”

___________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“Like you care?”

___________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“Of, course I do, Damian. I'm sorry I haven't been around as much.”

___________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“At all. You haven't been around at all. Just because-”

___________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“Damian, that's enough!” Bruce’s voice was sharp as he walked over to his son. The tension was palpable. “Hello, Dick.” He delivered the greeting in a cold voice.

___________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“Bruce,” Dick nodded in acknowledgement. Frustrated by the frigid exchange between his father and his brother, Damian huffed and stormed off to the elevator bank.

___________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

After an awkward pause, Bruce turned back to Luke. “We’ll be going now. If you need anything, call me.”

___________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

As they waited for the elevator, Damian looked back at Dick, but now his scowl had no venom in it. The doors opened, and they were gone.

___________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“Wow, that was intense,” Luke broke the silence. “I knew things weren't great between you right now, but I didn't realize it was that bad.”

___________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Dick shook his head. “I'm sorry about that. It's still ugly, and you know how Damian is.”

___________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“He misses you, Dick.”

___________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

He sighed again. He missed his Little D, too. “It's complicated. But I'm not here for them. I came here for you. How are you holding up?”

___________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“It's been a long night, but I'm fine. I made Mom and the girls go home to get some sleep. Dad is going to be out of commission for awhile, so I'll be stepping in to watch over some of the more 'sensitive projects' he was working on.”

___________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“Thanks, I'm sure they appreciate that. Luke, if you want to grab a couple hours yourself, I'll stay here and sit with him.”

___________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Before Luke could respond, something in the air changed. It was subtle, but it was there, the faintest smell of lavender. He had smelled it last night too. _No, it can’t be. _He took a step back to look to down the corridor.__

_____________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

The collision was immediate. She bounced off him like a rubber ball and landed the floor with a thud. The clipboard she'd been carrying went skittering across the hall. He stared at her in disbelief, but the name on her badge didn't lie. _Madi Wood, DPT. _He bent down to help her up.__

_______________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“Ow! You've got to be kidding me!” Madi said as sat up. _I don't believe this. Twice in twenty-four hours! _Her coccyx was going to kill her. She looked up at the unidentified obstruction and found herself staring into a pair of apologetic blue eyes.__

_________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“I'm sorry. I should've been paying more attention. Are you okay?” he asked.

_________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“Yes-ouch-I'm fine,” she answered, flustered. “And-” She patted his chest. “Oh, wow! What are you made of? You're quite, uh, sturdy there.” She looked around her. “Did you see where my clipboard went?”

_________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

He retrieved them for her. She couldn't help but check him out as he did so. _OMG, that is a nice- _“Here you go, Madi,” he said and handed her the charts.__

___________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

She scrutinized him. “Have we met?”

___________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Dick picked up the badge hanging around her neck. “Though I’d definitely remember _you _if we'd met before,” he kidded.__

_____________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Embarrassed, she snatched it back. “And you are?”

_____________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“I'm Dick Grayson. Nice to meet you.” He held his hand out.

_____________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

She shook it slowly, trying to remember why that name should mean something. Then it hit her. “ _You're _Dick Grayson?”__

_______________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“Last I checked.”

_______________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

She dropped his hand as if it had burned her. “Well, that's just... good for you. I have to go. I have... people.” She scurried around him and over to the nurses station.

_______________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Dick was left standing with his hand still in the air where she'd let go, not entirely certain of what had just happened.

_______________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“That was smooth.”

_______________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Luke was still standing next to him, trying to not laugh.

_______________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Dick shrugged in an attempt to mask his racing thoughts. “It could've gone better.”

_______________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“Thanks, man, I needed that. I think I will take you up on your offer. You sure you can stay?”

_______________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“Yeah, go get some rest.”

_______________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Dick leaned back against the wall and watched Madi walk down the hall.

_______________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“Hey, Madi! Are you still coming tonight? Eight o'clock at Rey's!” called out one of the nurses.

_______________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

She lifted a thumbs up over her head as she kept walking.

_______________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

***

_______________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Dick pushed open the door to Rey's and took in the scene. There was already about two dozen Gotham General staff there, no doubt unwinding after a long day, and more were coming in behind him. It was obviously ritual as the bartender greeted many by name.

_______________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Dick groaned inwardly. Tonight, was apparently karaoke night. _Great. My poor ears. _He searched the bar for her but saw no one matching her appearance. It was well after eight o’clock. _Maybe she's already gone or never came. _He was about to leave when a soulful voice began to sing. The smoky opening notes were wrought with emotion. Dick glanced at the stage. It was Madi. _Full of surprises. _The half grousing half singing he'd heard last night hadn't hinted at her true talent.______

__________________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_“Don't wanna be stone cold, stone.” ___

____________________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

He remained in the shadows until she finished the song. Her colleagues shouted cheers and offered high fives as she threaded her way to the bar. _It's now or never, _Dick thought as he moved to join her there.__

______________________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“Can I get a mineral water, please?” she ordered from the bartender.

______________________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“That's an unusual request at a bar,” Dick said as he eased in next to her.

______________________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

She cast her eyes over at him and took a swig from the bottle. “Water is better for you.”

______________________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“So it is." Dick spoke to the bartender, "I'll have what she's having.”

______________________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Not amused by his joke, Madi stared at him suspiciously. “Are you following me?”

______________________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“Why would you think that?” Dick answered innocently.

______________________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“Oh, I don't know. Twice in one day is a lot, considering our paths never crossed before. What brought you to Gotham Gen today?”

______________________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“My friend’s dad had a heart attack. I was keeping him company.”

______________________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

A look of sympathy crossed her face. “I'm sorry to hear that. How is he?”

______________________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“Doctors are optimistic. So far, he's doing as well as can be expected.” He took a drink and looked at her clothes. She was still in the same outfit as this morning, a cross between medical scrubs and activewear. “Are you a doctor there?”

______________________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“Physical therapist. I work in Bludhaven, but I come up here as needed to consult with Blud patients before they’re released. Go over their outpatient recovery plans. That kind of thing.” She took a deep breath. “Look, I'm sorry I was such a spaz this morning. And just now. You completely caught me off guard. Plus, last night I fell on the ice, so I was already smarting, if you know I mean.”

______________________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“Don't worry about it. I'm sorry I knocked you down. I didn't realize that I was so... sturdy.” She blushed slightly. “You have a beautiful voice.”

______________________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“Thanks. You should hear me in the shower.” _Oh, my gosh. You did not just say that. Do not flirt with him! _“Are you going to grace us with your vocal talents?”__

________________________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“Uh, no. Singing is not one of my talents.”

________________________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“And what _are _your talents, Mr. Grayson?” she asked.__

__________________________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

He leaned in conspiratorially. “We’d have to go somewhere else to show you.”

__________________________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

She arched an eyebrow, unimpressed. “Uh-huh. That's about what I thought. The apple doesn't fall far from the tree, does it?”

__________________________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

He smiled, amused by her candor. “What's that supposed to mean?”

__________________________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

She poked his chest. “I know you were raised by a notorious womanizer. I know your _type _. You think you can flash your charming smile and flex a few muscles, and I'll just fall into bed with you. Well, I've got news for you: _not _going to happen. You can pick another girl to keep you warm tonight.”____

_____________________________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

He poked her back. “And _you're _a little presumptuous. I was talking about acrobatics. Not something I can really do in a bar, is it? But of course, if you want to assume that you know all about me in only five minutes, go right ahead. It wouldn't be the first time someone judged me without knowing me.”__

_______________________________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

She bit her lip. _Dang it, he's right. _“I'm sorry.”__

_________________________________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“You're forgiven.” _She's even cuter when she's flustered. ___

___________________________________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“Acrobatics, you say? Makes sense now.”

___________________________________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“What does?”

___________________________________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“Your physique. It's more finely tuned than just the average musclehead.”

___________________________________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_And quite astute. _“Did your training as a PT tell you that?”__

_____________________________________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“Partly. I was a gymnast in another life. You develop an eye for another kindred spirit.”

_____________________________________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

He grinned. “Kindred spirit?”

_____________________________________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“Athletically speaking.”

_____________________________________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“And we're going to completely ignore the fact that you were checking out my ‘physique?’” His eyes were flirtatious.

_____________________________________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

She smirked, knowing she'd been caught. “Don't even pretend you're not flattered. You're not exactly trying to hide it.” She drank the last of her water and put some money on the bar. “However, it's late now, and I need to get going.”

_____________________________________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Dick stood up with her. “You know I live in Bludhaven, too. I could drive you.”

_____________________________________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“But then, what would I do with my car? Thanks for the offer though.” She called out a farewell to her colleagues and went out into the cold.

_____________________________________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Dick watched her retreat and finished his drink as well. He slid some cash over to pay his bill.

_____________________________________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“Don't feel bad, man,” said the guy seated next to him. “Better men than you have failed that mission. Heck, I've been trying to tap that for over a year.”

_____________________________________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“Are you talking about Madi?” Dick asked, more than a little repulsed by his attitude.

_____________________________________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“Yeah. Don't waste your time on her. She's an ice queen.”

_____________________________________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

***

_____________________________________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Dick found himself on the warehouse rooftop again. _Just making sure she got home safe and sound. Nothing more. _He smiled to himself as he watched her dance around her living room with her cat. She intrigued him. Last night, seconds after her life had been in danger, her concern was for his wellbeing. Tonight, she wasn't intimidated by the billionaire’s son. She was quick to smile and joke, but her defenses had stayed on high alert. He wanted to know why.__

_______________________________________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

A siren screamed in the distance, and the lights of a police chase reflected off the black streets. It was going to be a long night.

_______________________________________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 1-2 was originally all one chapter, but I ran into some formatting issues when I tried to edit something and had to split it.


	3. Keep You Safe

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It was supposed to be a one night only kind of thing, but then he ran into her again. Literally. Now she's like a song he can't get out of his head; only this girl will not be played.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's getting late  
> To give you up  
> I took a sip  
> From my devil's cup  
> Slowly it's taking over me  
> Too high  
> Can't come down  
> "Toxic" - Bloodshy and Avant

Three weeks had passed since their first meeting, and the bitter cold had finally turned into something more tolerable. Madi sat at her kitchen counter with a pig's foot and suture kit, practicing a stitch with her non-dominant hand. Suddenly, Phineas chirped, jumped up from where he’d been sleeping, and ran to her bedroom.

“Weirdo cat,” she muttered to herself without glancing up.

“Do you _always _leave your windows unlocked?”__

____

Madi started and spun around at the sound of his voice. He stood in the bedroom doorway holding Phineas. “Are you crazy? What are you doing here?”

____

“I thought I'd come back for follow up. You doctors like to keep tabs on your patients, don't you?” 

____

“Well, I'm not an MD. I'm a physical therapist." She sighed, "Or physical terrorist, depending who you ask. But sure, I'll take a look. Come sit down. Let me wash my hands.”

____

He crossed over and sat on the stool next to hers. “You weren't kidding about the pig’s feet. I wasn't aware PT’s did sutures.”

____

“Technically, no. But it's a good exercise for dexterity. Who knows? Maybe one day it will come in handy.” She pushed his hair out of the way. The cut had healed nicely. All that remained was some slight demarcation. “Looks good. You are officially released from my care.”

____

He noticed she didn't have her normal spark tonight. “So, physical terrorist?” he asked. “Should I be alarmed? Are you secretly a villain?” he joked, trying to get a smile from her.

____

She sat back down on her stool and rubbed her temples. “No, just a difficult day. I got an earful today... I shouldn't let it bother me; normally I don't.” Her downcast expression gave him the urge to comfort her. Before he could stop himself, he tucked a renegade strand of hair behind her ear. She jumped slightly, surprised by the intimate touch. She stood up and walked over to her refrigerator, if for nothing else to put space in between them. “Can I get you anything? Are you thirsty? Are you hungry? I have some leftover cannelloni I could heat up for you.”

____

He stood up and retreated in the direction of her bedroom. “No, thanks. I should go. And you _really _should lock your windows.”__

______ _ _

***

______ _ _

He sat on the rooftop berating himself. _What was I thinking going back there? And that look she gave me when I touched her! Like a deer in headlights. This is a disaster waiting to happen. _Nothing could come of this. He swore to himself tonight was the last time.__

________ _ _ _ _

***

________ _ _ _ _

Dick walked into Wayne Enterprises with trepidation. He had come to see Luke, but he knew it was only a matter of time before Bruce discovered he was there. He was a man on borrowed time.

________ _ _ _ _

He found Luke in Lucius' office. 

________ _ _ _ _

“Dick Grayson, what are you doing here?”

________ _ _ _ _

“I can't come see how you're doing? It looks like you're holding down the fort pretty well. How's Lucius?” Dick sat down on the sofa in the office.

________ _ _ _ _

“No, it's a welcome surprise. Dad’s doing good. He's home now and driving Mom crazy.”

________ _ _ _ _

“Sounds about right. And you?”

________ _ _ _ _

“I'm fine. We're all fine. Listen, I'm glad you're here. I wanted to ask you something. I've been hearing rumors of a new player making moves in Gotham and Bludhaven, but so far I've got nothing to substantiate them. Are you getting wind of anything in your neck of the woods?”

________ _ _ _ _

“I got a false call on my scanner last week. I found that odd.” Dick sat back and stared at the ceiling.

________ _ _ _ _

Luke leaned forward. “You didn't come here to talk business, did you?”

________ _ _ _ _

Dick groaned. “I’m in trouble.”

________ _ _ _ _

Luke left the desk and moved to a nearby chair. “What are you talking about? What happened?”

________ _ _ _ _

“Remember that girl from the hospital?”

________ _ _ _ _

“I remember. The cute blonde. It was quite entertaining. Wait, you didn't-? Did you hook up with her after all? Did she turn out to be some lunatic?”

________ _ _ _ _

Dick looked at him horrified. “God, no!”

________ _ _ _ _

“Then what has you so worked up?”

________ _ _ _ _

He sighed. “I'd saved her the night before. She'd slipped on the ice crossing her street late that night. A car was coming and didn't see her lying in the road. So I grabbed her and pulled her out of the way.”

________ _ _ _ _

“So, what's the big deal? She didn't recognize you.”

________ _ _ _ _

“No, that's not it. During the save, I cut my forehead. She invited me up to her apartment to clean it up.”

________ _ _ _ _

Luke laughed. “So, as Dick Grayson you had no game with her, but, as Nightwing, she invited you up?”

________ _ _ _ _

Dick glared at him. “The problem is, I went. I don't know why, but I did. Nothing happened, if that's what you're thinking. She just cleaned and bandaged the cut, and I left.”

________ _ _ _ _

“Again, Dick, what's the problem? It's been a long couple of weeks. I'm afraid I'm not following you.”

________ _ _ _ _

“I saw her again last night. I mean, I went back to her place. As Nightwing.”

________ _ _ _ _

“Why would you do that?”

________ _ _ _ _

He slumped over. “I don't know. I didn't really have a reason other than I wanted to see her. I can't stop thinking about her.”

________ _ _ _ _

Luke gave a low whistle. “This is bad. I'm afraid you may have feelings for her.”

________ _ _ _ _

“This isn't funny, Luke! I can't do things like this. First off, I have more important things to do. And second, what if someone _saw _? What if the wrong kind of people notice? I could be putting her in real danger. She's not like us.”__

__________ _ _ _ _ _ _

“Sounds to me like you already know what you have to do. She's just another civilian, Dick. You need to treat her like one.”

__________ _ _ _ _ _ _

“I know.”

__________ _ _ _ _ _ _

The office door opened without a knock. Bruce Wayne stood in the entrance.

__________ _ _ _ _ _ _

“I'd heard you were here. I wanted to come see for myself,” Bruce said, his voice dripping with disdain.

__________ _ _ _ _ _ _

Dick stood up. “I was hoping you weren't in today. I just came by to ask about Lucius. I'm leaving now.”

__________ _ _ _ _ _ _

Bruce barely stepped aside so he could pass. “You should've called instead,” he said coldly.

__________ _ _ _ _ _ _

Dick whipped around and stared Bruce down. “Do I need permission to come see a friend?! Next, will I need permission to come to Gotham at all?”

__________ _ _ _ _ _ _

“You're out of line, Dick,” Bruce growled.

__________ _ _ _ _ _ _

“That's right. I'm out of line! Far be it for me to challenge the great Bruce Wayne!”

__________ _ _ _ _ _ _

“You were being reckless and sloppy. It's a habit with you. You're going to get yourself killed. Or someone else!”

__________ _ _ _ _ _ _

“I knew what I was doing. No one got hurt. The problem was, it wasn't _your _way.”__

____________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Luke cleared his throat behind them. “Bruce. Dick. Perhaps this isn't the best place to have this discussion.”

____________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Dick glared at Bruce. “There _is _no discussion. Tell your dad I said hi. Thanks for the talk. I'll see you around.”__

______________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

***

______________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“Madi, you should come out with us tonight,” said Mary. “Steven’s bringing his friend John. It'll be fun.”

______________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“I was planning to go for a run before it gets too late. Maybe next time.”

______________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“Are you serious? Come on, go some other time. You'd really like John. He's smart and funny. Easy on the eyes.”

______________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Madi picked up her bag and headed out the door. “Next time, okay? I need to stretch my legs. I'll see you tomorrow.”

______________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

She wasn't lying. The ice and snow were finally gone, and it was unusually warm that day. She'd been planning to go for a run all day. It was just coincidence that it gave her the perfect excuse to avoid Mary's attempt to set her up. _Yet again. ___

________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

She enjoyed the feel of the winter sun on her skin as she walked home. The only thing bothering her right now, was the the guy standing next to her at the crosswalk. She was used to men giving her looks. The classic beauty she'd inherited from her mother tended to turn heads. Most of the time, she could ignore the ogling. This one though, smiled at her like he knew her. _If he follows me, he's going to get face full of pepper spray. ___

__________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“So, we meet again,” he mused.

__________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

She looked up at him. “Excuse me?”

__________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“Small world, isn't it? If I didn't know better I'd say _you _were following _me _.”____

_____________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

She gave him a confused look. Then it clicked. “Dick Grayson,” she said, not hiding the annoyance in her voice. “Sorry to burst your bubble, but this is just a random occurrence. I'm on my way home from work.”

_____________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“You know,” he continued undeterred, “I still feel bad about knocking you down that day. How can I make it up to you?”

_____________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“It's not necessary.”

_____________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“Let me buy you a cup of coffee.”

_____________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“I don't drink coffee.”

_____________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

He persisted. “Hot chocolate, then? Wassel? Mineral water?” She crossed her arms. “Are you always this closed off?”

_____________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

She narrowed her eyes. “Yes.”

_____________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“I don't buy it.” He leaned in. “I've watched you sing.” She fought a smile. “Come on. It's one drink. No strings.” He smiled at her. “Let one kindred spirit buy another one a drink.” Her mouth quirked in a half smile and sighed in acquiescence. _I can't believe I'm doing this _.__

_______________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“Tea,” she heard herself say. “I prefer tea. 

_______________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“I know just where to go.”

_______________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

***

_______________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“How did you find this place?” 

_______________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

They sat in a small shop drinking their brews next to a window. When he had lead her here, she’d thought it was a trick. To the outside, it appeared like a rundown old house, but inside was a charming tea shop.

_______________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“I was looking for a gift for Alfred. He’s always complaining it's hard to find a decent tea here. My former landlady recommended it.”

_______________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“Who's Alfred?” she asked.

_______________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“He’s Bruce's butler.”

_______________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“Oh, yes. The butler,” she said with a slight eye roll. “For a second, I forgot who I was talking to.”

_______________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“No, it's not like that. Butler doesn't even really define Alfred. He raised Bruce after his parents died. And Bruce may have adopted me, but without Alfred, I don't know how I would've managed. He's family,” Dick said. “He keeps us all grounded.”

_______________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Madi considered him thoughtfully over her tea. “You're different than the papers depict you.”

_______________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

He grinned conspiratorially. “How so?”

_______________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“You're not the aloof player you feign to be in the media, are you?”

_______________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“Is that what they say about me?” he gasped in mock horror.

_______________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“More or less.”

_______________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“What do you think I am?”

_______________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“Someone who shows people what they want to see.”

_______________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“And who are you, Madi?”

_______________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“Someone who likes their privacy.”

_______________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“What are you hiding?”

_______________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“I'm not hiding anything, Dick Grayson. I just prefer to keep to myself. Things are simpler that way. And you. Do you even know who you are? You've been in someone else's shadow all your life. Always playing to the crowd. I'll let you in on a secret, you'll never be satisfied if you keep trying to make everyone else happy.”

_______________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“Is that something you know from experience?” Dick inquired. “Because I see a woman who keeps everyone at arm's length, and not because it makes _her _happy. I think you're scared to let people in. Does that sound about right?”__

_________________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“Touché.” She gave him a small smile, amused at his perception. She wanted to not like him, but he was making it difficult.

_________________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

He took a drink of his tea. “So, how did you become a PT?”

_________________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“When I was fifteen I hurt my shoulder. After surgery, I needed therapy to get my range of motion back. I would see other people there, fighting to regain something. For some it was small things, like me, for others it was big things like learning to walk again. But no matter how big or small, these things defined the before and after for them. I realized it was what I wanted to do, help people find the ‘after.’”

_________________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“Your ‘after’ didn't include gymnastics?”

_________________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“No, my shoulder was too messed up. I still did it for fun, but not competitively.”

_________________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“Do you miss it?”

_________________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“Sometimes. I miss the adrenaline rush. The satisfaction of sticking the landing. I don't miss the blisters, the sprains, and the endless practices. Do you miss it? Circus life?”

_________________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_My life is still a circus _. “Sometimes. Although, my life is still about putting on a show, albeit a different kind.”__

___________________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“Boring doesn't sell papers, does it? Must get old always having people in your business; never knowing who you can really trust.”

___________________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“You have no idea,” Dick admitted. “And why live in Bludhaven? You seem like you could get a job anywhere.”

___________________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“Why not? It's as good a place as any. _You _live here. Why aren't you in Gotham?”__

_____________________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“Blud seemed like a good fit.”

_____________________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“Well, there you go,” she said and finished her tea. She stood up to leave. “Thanks for the tea. You can consider yourself forgiven, but I need to head home now.”

_____________________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

He followed her to the door. “Can I walk you?”

_____________________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_Yes, I'd like that _. “No, I'll be fine. It's not dark yet. Thanks though.”__

_______________________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

She started down the sidewalk. “I'd like to see you again,” Dick said. “Would that be okay?”

_______________________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

She faced him again. “Maybe we'll bump into each other. Bye, Dick Grayson.” She walked a few steps backward and winked at him before she turned back around.

_______________________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _


	4. Run From This

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> She had said maybe they would run into eachother again. He hadn't expected this. To be honest, neither had she. Trying to piece it all together, Dick unearths what she had buried.
> 
> First off: Warning for stronger themes, such as alcohol use and the actions that impaired judgment may lead to.  
> Second: This chapter touches on mental health issues and tragic circumstances. _Please _read the endnote.__

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm gonna live like tomorrow doesn't exist   
> I'm gonna fly like a bird through the night  
> Feel my tears as they dry  
> I'm gonna swing from the chandelier   
> And I'm holding on for dear life  
> Won't look down, won't open my eyes  
> Keep my glass full until morning light  
> Cause I'm just holding on for tonight   
> Help me, I'm holding on for dear life  
> "Chandelier " - Sia Furler

Weeks passed by, and he held firm to his resolution not to return to her as Nightwing. He kept busy. Luke had been right. There was definitely something going on. More false calls had come through on his scanner. Dick was beginning to feel like he was on the wrong end of a game of cat and mouse, so he started picking up more bartending shifts to see if he could gather any useful information. 

That's when he saw her again. But tonight, something seemed off as she plopped down at the bar.

“Double of Don Julio,” she ordered.

“No mineral water tonight?” Dick asked.

Madi glowered at him as she imbibed her tequila. “Nope. Bad day. What are _you _doing here?”__

____

“I work here.”

____

“Why? You want to see how the other half live?” She rolled her eyes and spoke to the other bartender. “Another.”

____

Dick put his hand out to stop him from pouring. He examined Madi closely. _She's already had a few somewhere else. _“I think you've had enough, Madi.”__

____

____

____

She glared at him. “Well, I think you should mind your own business.”

____

____

____

Mel, the other bartender, looked from Madi to Dick and put the bottle down. “Your call, Dick. I'm not getting in the middle of a lover’s quarrel.”

____

____

____

“He wishes,” Madi muttered under her breath as Mel walked away. She turned her back to Dick. He looked at her in disbelief. _She's a completely different person tonight. _His concern increased as patron he knew to be a philanderer sat down next to her.__

______ _ _

____

______ _ _

“So, I hear you're having a bad day, beautiful,” the creep said and rested his hand on her thigh. “I have just the thing to make it better.”

______ _ _

____

______ _ _

To Dick’s horror, she didn't slap him or even balk at his advances, like he would've expected on a normal day. Instead, she leaned in and whispered something in his ear. He laughed, and slid his hand higher. _That's it. _He came around the bar and stood in between them.__

______ _ _

______ _ _

______ _ _

“Alright, that's enough,” Dick objected firmly.

______ _ _

______ _ _

______ _ _

“What do you think you're doing?! Back off!” she retorted. 

______ _ _

______ _ _

______ _ _

“Hey, man, lighten up. We're just getting acquainted,” protested the creep.

______ _ _

______ _ _

______ _ _

“Look,” Dick insisted, “she's obviously drunk. Go get ‘acquainted’ with someone else.”

______ _ _

______ _ _

______ _ _

“Who do you think you are?” Madi tried to push Dick away. “You're not the boss of me!” 

______ _ _

______ _ _

______ _ _

Dick looked from her to the creep and back. _She's going to do something she'll regret later if I leave her alone. _“Mel, can you handle things solo tonight?”__

________ _ _ _ _

______ _ _

________ _ _ _ _

“No problems here,” replied Mel.

________ _ _ _ _

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“I'm sorry about this, Madi, but tonight I am.” With that, he grabbed her by the arm hustled her out of the bar before anyone could react.

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Once out on the street, she turned livid. “Let me go! Where are you taking me?” she screeched.

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“Home.”

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She ripped her arm out of his grasp. “I'd like to see you try.”

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They stood practically nose to nose; her eyes daring him to make a move. “Challenge accepted.” With that, he swung her up over his shoulder and took off down the street.

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She railed against him for two full blocks, yelling tired cliches about cavemen and Neanderthals before she ran out of steam. By the time, they arrived at her building she had grown quiet. He set her down on the stoop.

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“Where are your keys, Madi?”

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“Where are _your _keys, _dick _?”____

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“That's original. Seriously, Madi, where are your keys?”

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“In my pocket,” she answered with her arms crossed. It was clear she was not going to be helpful. He reached into her coat pockets and came up empty handed.

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“No, they're not.”

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“I didn't say my coat pocket,” she countered. He uncrossed her arms and unzipped her coat. She had pockets on her blouse and pants.

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“Which pocket?”

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She shrugged, obvious enjoying the game. “Pick one.”

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He grunted. “I'm not doing that.” 

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She sat down on the stoop. “Then I guess we stay out here.”

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He hauled her back up to her feet. “Madi, come on.”

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She rolled her eyes. “Fine, it's the right one.”

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He scrutinized her clothes. There seemed to be no weight in the pockets of her blouse nor any bulk in her jeans' pockets. He stepped closer and reached into her front jeans’ pocket. _Empty. _Frustrated, he reached into the back pocket. _Empty _.____

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“Skipping right to second base, aren't you?” she taunted him.

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_Nothing _. They were all empty. He was not about to start going through her blouse, especially after that comment.__

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“They're _not _there. I'm tired of playing games, Madi. _Where _are your keys?”____

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“I said the right one. I never said they were in my pants.” She extended her leg and set it on his shoulder; obviously trying to get a rise out of him with her display of flexibility. Her boot had a small pocket. He retrieved her keys and shoved her leg down. He wasn't going to give her the satisfaction.

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He unlocked the entrance. She stood where she was and pretended to inspect a fingernail. “Oh, for heaven's sake!” He grabbed her and slung her over his shoulder again. This time he didn't put her down until they were inside her apartment.

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Once inside, Madi ignored him and pulled off her boots. Then to his shock, she kept removing items of clothing and dropping them on the floor until she was wearing only her bra and panties. If the situation were different he would've found her incredibly sexy into the matching black lace set. She proceeded to walk nonchalantly into the kitchen and pour herself another shot of tequila. Obviously, the bottle she'd been working on earlier.

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“What is _wrong _with you?” Dick asked.__

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“Oh, I'm sorry. How rude of me. Would you care for a nightcap?”

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“Madi, this isn't like you.”

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She threw the glass at him. “You know _nothing _about me, pretty boy.”__

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He deflected the glass, and it shattered on the floor. “What happened? Why are you so upset?”

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Ignoring the broken glass, Madi got in his face and practically spat out, “Today's a bad day for me, okay? Not all of us get billionaires and butlers to swoop in and rescue us when everything goes to hell. Why don't you go back to Gotham and your mansion?”

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He stared at her, stunned by her vehemence. 

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“I said go.” She pushed him, but he barely moved. Infuriated, she shoved again, harder, and pummeled his chest with her fists. “I said _leave! _”__

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Dick caught her wrists to stop her onslaught. She shrieked in anger and continued to strike at him. “Madi, it's okay. Calm down.” Her shriek became a scream. He spun her and covered her mouth while still immobilizing her arms. “Madi, stop screaming. Your neighbors will call the police.”

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Her tirade finally stopped. He released her, and she faced him again. “No one is going to call the police, Dick. This is Bludhaven.”

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She let the words sink in before she came at him again. Despite having no combat training, she was strong; but it was her ferocity that knocked him off balance. 

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They tumbled to the floor. She waled on him with everything she had. He struggled to overpower her without hurting her, eventually pinning her underneath him. He held her arms over her head and used his weight to stop her thrashing. Undeterred, she sank her teeth into his shoulder. He yelped in pain, but he held firm. For the second time that night, they glared at eachother down. She writhed against his viselike grip, and he could feel her chest heaving from the exertion. The feel of her barely clothed body rubbing against him in a vain struggle was becoming distracting. He saw a sly look in her eyes, a recognition of the effect she was having on him. He felt one of her legs intertwine with his and her hips shift in a suggestive way. He froze. _Abort. Get off of her now. ___

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“Madi, I'm going to let you go. Don't try to hit me again,” Dick told her firmly. 

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He slowly released his grip on her arms, and immediately she grabbed him around the neck. She kissed him, full and deep. _Oh, hell _, he thought and gave into the kiss. He had wanted to kiss her since that first night. The weeks of desire fueled him as he slid his arms around her. Emboldened by his embrace, she dug her nails into his back. He felt her legs wrap around him and pull him toward her with urgency. She started to tug at his clothes.__

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There was still an aggression in her touch that brought him back to his senses. As much as he'd thought about this moment, this was not how he wanted it to happen. He sat up.

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“Madi, no,” he whispered. “Not like this. Not when you're drunk.”

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She gazed up at him. There was no more anger in her eyes, only sadness. She rolled onto her side and curled up into a ball; tears sliding down her cheeks. Dick reached down and picked her up. She didn't fight him as he carried her into the bedroom. He gently placed her on the bed, and pulled up the covers. She caught his arm as he started to leave.

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“Stay, please. I don't want to be alone tonight,” she said, barely audible. 

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He sighed. _Lord, help me _. He took off his shoes and climbed into bed with her.__

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***

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Madi awoke with the hangover she knew she deserved. She lay there trying to piece together the night before. She remembered _tequila _and _Dick Grayson _. Dick Grayson in her _apartment _. With a gasp, she bolted upright and looked around. Madi groaned when she heard a noise in her kitchen.______

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_What did I do?! Please, please, don't let me have slept with Dick Grayson last night _. The discovery that she was semi-clothed gave her some relief. Wrapping herself in a robe, Madi took a deep breath and left the bedroom.__

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Dick was sweeping up the broken glass. He had already folded the clothes she had left on the floor and given Phineas his breakfast. She timidly sat down at the kitchen counter.

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“Hi,” she mumbled.

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“Hello, yourself. How are you feeling?” He handed her a glass of water. 

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“Like crap, but that's to be expected.” She took a sip. “Dick, please, tell me we didn't -?”

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“No. We didn't. Don't worry, nothing happened last night. I only stayed to make sure you're okay.”

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She exhaled a sigh of relief. “Thanks for that, it's probably more than I deserve. I've been told I can be a mean drunk. I'm sorry for anything I said. Or did.”

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“Don't worry about it. We've all said and done things we regret.” Another awkward pause. “So, I'm going to go now and leave you to nurse your hangover. I'll let myself out.”

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***

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Dick had been sitting in front of his computer debating with himself for over an hour. Doing background checks on people was routine for him, but this time it felt like an invasion of privacy.

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_Just get it over with _. He started the search. At first nothing out of the ordinary popped up. Award winning gymnast. Graduated high school top of her class with early acceptance to her first pick school. Dean’s list. Various academic awards. Extremely studious, as she finished her bachelor's degree in only three years. Accepted into the physical therapy program. There was an engagement announcement. _Odd _. She definitely wasn't married now, and there was no record of a marriage license or divorce proceedings.____

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What he did find, made him sick to his stomach. _"New Haven grieves loss of beloved music professor. Daughter is sole survivor of murder-suicide." _Madi had come home to find that her younger schizophrenic brother had killed their parents. He had attacked her too and then committed suicide. She'd survived only because a neighbor had heard her screaming and called the police. The date of the incident was exactly three years ago yesterday.__

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He leaned back in his chair. It all made sense now.

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**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The circumstances in which Madi's family died are extreme, and I in NO WAY seek to vilify anyone battling schizophrenia. On a personal note, the subject of mental health awareness is one close to my heart, as it has affected my life since I was a child. I know the heartache these illnesses often bring to everyone involved.  
> They take no prisoners and do not discriminate. To anyone fighting, never surrender.


	5. Bad Bad Thing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After learning why Madi was so distraught, he goes back to check to her. Only he made one mistake, that lead to another, which leads to another. Now she may know what he's hiding too. And family always shows up at the worst time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You ever toss and turn, you're lying awake,  
> and thinking about the one you love?  
> I don't think so  
> You ever close your eyes, you're making believe  
> you're holding the one you're dreaming of?  
> Well if you say so  
> It hurts so bad  
> When you finally know  
> Just how low, low, low, low, low she'll go  
> "Baby Did A Bad Bad Thing" - Chris Isaak

The night came back to her in flashes. She remembered being carried home like a sack of potatoes and being very angry with him. She remembered kissing and him kissing her back. Yet this morning he'd been quick to say that nothing had happened. _Was he protecting himself or me? ___

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She certainly wasn't going to seek him out to clarify the issue, and he probably never wanted to see her again. She curled up with her tea on the sofa and picked up the article she'd been reading. Phineas snuggled next to her.

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Madi hadn't been sitting there long when Phineas suddenly jumped up and ran to her bedroom. She put down the journal and looked up. “I thought you might come by tonight.”

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Nightwing was standing in the doorway with Phineas winding himself around his ankles.

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“You were quite the spectacle in the streets last night.” 

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She raised an eyebrow. “You did see that? Why didn't you come rescue me? What if I was being kidnapped?”

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“I made sure you were alright.” He paused. “Madi, _are _you alright?”__

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She bit her lip, debating on what to say. Finally, she patted the cushion next to her. “Come sit down and have a cup of tea with me.”

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Now it was his turn to hesitate, unsure whether or not to cross this barrier. She poured another cup from the pot and offered it to him. He noticed she'd already had the extra cup ready. _How did she know I was coming? _He sat down next to her.__

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“It's herbal tea. Detoxifying,” she said.

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He took a sip of the herbaceous liquid. It was sweet and bitter at the same time. “Interesting,” he said.

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“It's good for you.” They stared into their cups for a moment, unsure of what to say next. “What do you know?" she sighed.

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“I found an article... about what happened to your family.” He set down his cup and tapped his mask to slide away the white out lenses. “Madi, I'm so, so sorry.”

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“I just wanted to forget.” She set down her cup too and began fidgeting with her hair in an effort not to cry. “Most days I can pretend that everything’s fine, but somedays are harder than others.”

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“I know the feeling.”

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“Do you?” she asked. 

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He grimaced, but instead of answering he asked, “Is that why you left New Haven?”

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“There was nothing left for me there. So, I took off and travelled for awhile. I thought it would clear my head. Somehow, I ended up here of all places. Gotham’s ugly stepsister. I found a program to complete my degree and made this my new home. It's grittiness just felt right. Is that crazy?”

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Dick gently grasped her hands to stop her fidgeting. He stared at them for a moment; her delicate hands seemed dwarfed in his gloved ones. Then he took a deep breath and spoke.

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“I don't think it's crazy. When something like that happens, we do anything to try make sense of things. My parents were murdered right in front of me. That's why I started doing this. I wanted to bring their killer to justice. And I just never stopped. There always seems to be another evil to take its place. But I don't have any superpowers. I'm just an ordinary man, trying to do some good in the world so something meaningful came out of their deaths.”

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Madi slid her hands out of his and traced the emblem on his chest. Even through the protective material, her touch sent chills through his body. She could feel his heart pounding through his uniform. He touched her cheek and slowly leaned in to kiss her; timidly, like a school boy’s first kiss. His heart pounded faster. “I'm sorry,” he said. “I shouldn't have done that.”

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_That felt like kissing -. No, that's impossible. _She touched her lips and gazed at him. The hair. The build. His smile. _Those blue eyes. _All the same. _It has to be him. _It was completely illogical and yet made perfect sense. There was only one way to know for sure. She remembered biting Dick on the shoulder last night. Not her finest moment, but it should've left a mark. _I just need to get his shirt off somehow to know for sure. Alright, Madi you're a big girl. You can do this. _“It's okay. You can kiss me.”________

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He appeared to be vacillating on whether to kiss her again or not. _Does he know I think I know? Kiss me, dang it! ___

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“I should go,” he mumbled. The expression on his face was one of conflict.

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_Oh, for crying out loud. _She launched herself from her seat and pressed her lips against his. He made a startled noise against her mouth and froze; every fiber in his body taut. But this time he didn't kiss her back, so she broke away not wanting to force something on him if he truly didn't want it. His hand caught her by the back of the neck, firmly holding her face close to his. His blue eyes searched her green ones intensely. He must've found what he was looking for because the next thing she knew, his mouth devoured hers hungrily.__

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_Oh, my. _The hand on her neck slid into her hair and the other was on her back holding a fistful of her shirt. He playfully bit her lower lip. _Mmm. He's a good kisser. _Then another thought crossed her mind. _He's probably had a lot of practice. Stay focused, Madi. This is purely reconnaissance work. _______

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He grabbed her hips and lifted her onto his lap so that she was straddling him. _Well, that's forward. _But she had to admit to angle was better now. _Gosh, he's, like, all muscle. I bet he does look incredible. _His lips moved to her neck. _Wow. _A sound escaped her throat, and her skin flushed with embarrassment. He only smiled appreciatively and returned to her mouth. She felt his tongue part her lips, seeking entrance. She grabbed his hair on the nape of his neck to steady herself as the feeling of his deep kiss sent shivers down her spine.______

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Her eyes flew open when he moved slightly underneath her. The feeling of his pelvis shifting for a better angle brought her back to reality. _Careful, Madi. Get it his shirt off. But don't get too carried away. _She broke their kiss, and he took her cue and relaxed his hold on her hips. She slid her hands down his chest and felt for the break in his uniform. His breath hitched when she found it and slowly began to lift up the shirt portion. She paused halfway, surprised by the scars underneath. _Oh. _She brushed her fingertips across a long one on his ribs.____

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He suddenly seemed shy. “Hazard of the job,” he said quietly. “Makes it impossible to go shirtless in the summer,” he added by way of a joke.

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They sat there for a moment, the mood suddenly more serious. She decided to show him. “I get it. I'm ruined for bikinis.” She slowly lifted her own shirt part way up to expose the fading scar on her stomach, the constant reminder of her nightmare. 

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A pained expression crossed his face; knowing its story. He took off his gauntlets and ran his bare fingers over the slightly pink tissue. Then he lifted off his shirt exposing his crisscrossed arms and torso. She barely had time to register the telltale bruise on his shoulder before he was kissing her again. With his shirt gone, she could feel the warmth radiating from him, flooding her body with long buried feelings. _Oh. Oh, my. _Things escalated even faster. Her thoughts were getting cloudy. _This is not... But, wow... No... How does he know to do that... Must use brain...___

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Before she could protest, he had wrapped her in his arms and effortlessly switched their position again. _He is so strong. _She was now on laying on the sofa with him hovering over her. _Oh, gosh. So many muscles. _There wasn't much between them, only organic cotton and the remains of his uniform. His hand slipped under her shirt and felt the soft lace of her bralet. Her mouth open to object, but when he touched the sensitive skin underneath, all that came out was a gasp. _This is serious. Must. Stop. _Then he went to her back to kissing her neck, and her body betrayed her again. His hand left her chest and found its way to the drawstring of her pants. If she had any doubt before where this was headed, they were gone now. His intentions were very clear.______

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_Point of no return. This is about to happen. Do you want it to let happen? Think, Madi. Think. ___

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“Wait,” she whispered in his ear. 

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His hand paused, but didn't release its hold on the string. He continued kissing her. "Hm?" he hummed against her mouth.

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“Stop.”

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The word was like cold water being splashed on him. He put space between their bodies and looked at her concerned. “What is it?” There was a touch of agony in his voice.

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She bit her lip, searching for the words to explain. _I want to, but I can't. I'm sorry. ___

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He sat up and moved to the far end of the couch. He seemed to know what she was trying to say. He leaned back and covered his face with his hands as he regained his composure.

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“Nightwing, come in.” An all too familiar voice spoke in his comm. “Adjacent rooftop. Now.”

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“Are you _serious _? Screw you!” he replied angrily to the voice, followed by a gesture to match. Madi looked at him in shock. Realizing Madi hadn't heard the call to his comms that had earned his ire, Dick’s eyes widened in horror. She had thought that retort was directed at her. “No! No, not _you _,” he assured her silently and then pointed to his mask. He mouthed the word, "Radio."____

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“Nightwing, _now _.”__

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“You have got to be kidding me!” He stood up and grabbed the pieces of his uniform from the floor. “I'm really sorry about this, but I have to go.” He pressed a hurried kissed onto her lips and left the room.

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***

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Dick swung onto the opposing rooftop. Batman and Robin stood in the shadows waiting for him. Dick strode over menacingly to meet them.

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“What are you doing here, Batman? This is _my _city. I've stayed out of Gotham. Stay the out Bludhaven.”__

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“What are you worried about? That I'd witness more of your irresponsible impulsiveness?”

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“Oh, my god! Have you been here this entire time?! And what if things had gone differently over there?” He might have been embarrassed if he weren't so furious.

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“Then I would have waited another fifteen minutes.”

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He felt his hand form a fist. He wanted to punch that smug look off his face. He looked over at Damian who had turned his back to Dick. “And you? You have nothing to add?”

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Dick could hear the scowl in his voice. “Tt. Now I know why you're so busy.”

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“It's not like that, Robin.”

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“Then what is it?” the teen spat out.

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He turned back to Batman. “When I saw Batwing, he said there's a new player in Gotham. I think they're making moves in Blud too. I've gotten several false alerts in the last few weeks. I've been trying to get the bottom of it. Unfortunately, every lead is just another dead end.”

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“That's why we came to talk to you. Arsenal and Flash contacted me today and said similar things are happening in their cities. They want to combine resources.”

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“You could've just called me with that. Why make the trip out here? For that matter, why didn't _they _contact me personally?”__

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“Apparently, word of your feud has gotten out," Damian interjected. "Your comrades no doubt wanted to avoid a turf battle as this affecting all four cities. Gotham _is _Batman's territory after all.”__

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“I came here in the hope of setting aside our differences for sake of the mission. I thought coming in person would be a gesture of good faith,” Bruce said. Dick could hear the disappointment in his voice. _Somethings never change. ___

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Bruce turned to leave and Damian followed.

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“I care about her,” Dick said to his back. “I'm not just screwing around.”

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“Contact your friend in Keystone. He wants you on his recon mission. We’re done here.” With that, Batman and Robin disappeared.

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Madi sat on her couch curled up in a ball. She knew beyond a shadow of doubt she was right. Dick Grayson was Nightwing.

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Things started to fall in place. Dick Grayson had carried her home, but she'd never told him where she lived. Nightwing knew. He'd had no problem restraining her when she'd attacked him in her anger. And the story about his parents. Nightwing hadn't said when his parents were killed, but the tragic death of the Flying Graysons was public record. 

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She also couldn't believe how stupid she'd been. _Stupidstupidstupid. I am not about to get my heart broken by some duplicitous man-child with a hero complex _.__

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And then she thought about her encounters with him with and without the mask. He'd been charming, but genuine. He was kind and had treated her honorably. When she'd said stop, he'd stopped. 

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_What is he doing with someone like me? ___

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***

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She was asleep before he could come back. He knelt down beside her bed and stroked her hair. She stirred.

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“Mmm?” She opened her eyes. “Whasit?”

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“I have to go.”

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“But you just got here,” she said sleepily and yawned.

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“I mean, I'm leaving town for a mission. I don't know how long I'll be gone. I didn't want you to think that I had... you know... ”

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She sat up and rubbed her eyes. “Ghosted me?”

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“Yeah, that.”

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“Well,” she said and clumsily patted his shoulder, “s’nice of you, but unnecessary. Look, I'm real grateful you saved my life, but I will not be another notch in your belt.”

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Dick furrowed his brow. “That's not my intention, Madi.”

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“Then what is your intention, _Nightwing _? It's time for a little honesty here.” The sleep was gone from her voice.__

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“I don't... I don't know.”

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“That what I thought. Goodbye.”

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“This isn't a simple thing.” Dick pinched the bridge of his nose. “I like you, Madi, I honestly do, but being involved with someone like me is dangerous.”

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“Oh, please. Life is full of danger. Some you see coming, and some blindsides you. You can't live your life trying to avoid it.”

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“There's a difference between trying to avoid it and sending it an open invitation,” he argued.

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“That's a little hypocritical coming from the vigilante, don't you think?” He had no reply. “Right now, the only thing that's a danger to me, is _you _. I don't need one more thing to get over.”__

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“I don't want that either.”

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“Then what _do _you want?”__

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“Madi, relationships are complicated for people like me. This world is not all fun and games.”

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“Relationships are complicated. Period.”

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“What do you want from _me _, Madi?”__

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“I want you to be honest. You come through my window. You talk to me like we know each other. We kiss. We almost have-”

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He grabbed her arms and shook her slightly. “Do you know what you're asking? Do you know what could happen to you? Do you realize how many evil people want to know who we are under these masks? People are tortured for that kind of information, killed. I don't want to put you in that kind of danger.”

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“What makes you think I haven't already figured it out?” 

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He recoiled. The night he'd brought her home, Dick Grayson shouldn't have known where she lived. And obviously, the kiss. Of course, she knew. He cursed to himself. “If you have something to say, then say it.”

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“No,” she said. “I’d hoped you would trust me enough to say it yourself, especially after tonight.” She turned away from him. “I hope your mission goes well. Stay safe, _Nightwing _.”__

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**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So finally we start seeing a bit more interaction between the other members of the Bat Family. Tell me what you think about their voices. I'd love to know if you think I captured them.
> 
> Comments are greatly appreciated.


	6. Running From Nothing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> He decides to tell her what she already knows. The problem is secrets are like dominos; reveal one and the others start to fall too. Family relations are already strained, so Bruce's response is unexpected to say the least. Then again, maybe she wants nothing more to do with him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm running from nothing, no thoughts in my mind  
> Oh my heart was all black  
> But I saw something shine  
> Thought that part was yours, but it might just be mine  
> I could share it with you, if you gave me the time  
> I'm all bloody knuckles, longing for home   
> If it weren't for second chances   
> We'd all be alone   
> "Second Chances" - Gregory Alan Isakov

He raced down the road on his bike replaying their conversation in his head. Did she truly know? Had something so simple given it away?

He turned off the marked path and onto the hidden entrance to the Batcave. He hadn't been here months; not since his fight with Bruce. They'd been taking down the Penguin. He was getting away, and Dick had seen an opening. Against Batman's orders he'd taken it. While fighting his remaining henchmen, Penguin had grabbed a gun, pointed it at Nightwing’s head, and pulled the trigger. His heart had stopped when he'd heard the click of an empty cartridge behind him. Batman had descended a split second later, and Penguin had been apprehended. Furious hadn't even touched Bruce’s rage. He remembered the fight clear as day.

“I gave you an order to stand down!”

“He was getting away. I could reach him in time, you couldn't! Is your ego so big now you can't fathom someone else having a plan?”

“What plan?! You went in completely overconfident, _as usual _, and you lost track of your adversary. Dick, he almost killed you!”__

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“The gun was empty. And now he's in prison. No harm. No foul.”

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“Did you know the gun was empty? Did you even know he'd pulled a gun on you? Can you imagine how it felt watching it happen? To be thinking I'm about to watch you die?”

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“You are overreacting.”

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“You were reckless and sloppy. You think only of yourself out there.”

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“Only think of myself?! You're unbelievable! How many times did I risk my life to save _yours _as Robin? And you have the nerve to say I think only of myself? I would die before I would let anything happen to you, or Damian, or Tim, or Jason, or Cass and Alfred. I've done more and sacrificed more to protect this family than you ever will!”__

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“I would go to hell and back for all of you! Don't you _dare _tell me there's anything I wouldn't do!” Bruce had roared.__

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“And whose fault was it they were in hell to begin with?!”

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Then Bruce had punched him. Dick spat the blood out on the floor, bawled up his fist, and had punched him back. It should've stopped there, but both men were too blinded by hurt and anger to stop. They were both bleeding profusely before Damian and Alfred had pulled them apart. 

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“Get out,” Bruce had growled.

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He'd left without a backward glance; Alfred and Damian too shocked to stop him. A fight between him and Bruce was nothing new, but years had passed since they'd come to blows. 

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But now thinking about recent events, had Bruce been right? It was a careless mistake now that had brought his identity into question. 

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He slowed to a stop. He was back. Even if it wasn't on the best of terms. Bruce had been right about one thing. The mission was more important than their personal differences.

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“Glad you made it,” said Damian. “You're late.”

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“Personal business, Damian.”

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“Yeah, I'll bet,” he smirked.

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“Thanks for letting me use the jet, Bruce,” Dick said hesitantly. He was trying to be civil. “Is there anything I should know? Any new upgrades?”

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“Just bring it back in one piece,” Bruce grunted not looking up.

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“Right,” he sighed and ruffled Damian’s hair, despite its awkwardness now. He noticed the boy had grown a couple more inches since he'd last done it and was now as tall as him. _Soon he'll be taller than me. _“I'll see you later, Little D.”__

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Wally West, or Flash as he went by now, had uncovered a signal piggybacking on his scanner. Dick and Roy Harper, a.k.a. Arsenal, worked on tracing it while Flash went about business as normal. It took a week, but finally they found the source. It was strange. It seemed to be the work of a random hacker, albeit a talented random hacker. If it weren't for the fact it was happening in multiple cities, they would have chalked it up to normal cyber mischief; as only their scanners had been compromised, not their personal communications. He reported this to Bruce back in the cave.

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“So we can check for these frequencies here, and see if we can find a similar hacking setup in Gotham and Bludhaven. I've forwarded this info to Tim as well,” Dick said.

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“Good,” Bruce replied.

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“Will there be anything else, Bruce?” 

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“No. You can go.”

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“Alright then. Bye, Damian.” The teen muttered a response from his position at a work table but didn't look up. He walked towards his bike. After a few steps, he stopped and turned back to face Bruce. “I'm going to tell her. She knows who I am anyway; at least, I think she does. But I thought you should know. After all, this will affect you too.”

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Bruce's face remained impassive. After a few seconds, he asked, “How did she find out?”

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Dick shrugged. “Because I got sloppy. I made a mistake, and she figured it out. Are you happy? You were right.”

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His expression was still unreadable. _He's so infuriating! Just give me something! Be angry! Say ‘I told you so.’ Be disappointed!_

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“I want to meet her.”

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That, he hadn't expected. “What?”

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“I want to meet her. As you said, it affects us too. Bring her to the charity dinner tomorrow night. Spend the night here at the Manor, so we can talk more the next day. Does that sound reasonable to you?”

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He thought it over. “I think so, but it's pretty short notice for her to take off work, and I don't know if she has a dress.”

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“I'll take care of it. Just bring her here." Bruce turned to his youngest, "What do you think, Damian? This concerns you too.”

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“He's already screwed up. I'd like to meet the the woman that rendered him incapable of thinking with his brain,” Damian snarked.

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“Okay, agreed," Dick conceded. "We'll see you tomorrow night.”

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***

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It was only a couple hours before sunrise before he arrived back in Bludhaven. He was exhausted, but instead of returning to his place after stowing his bike, he went to hers. He tried the window, half expecting it to be locked. If it was, he would know he'd blown it, and she was telling him to get lost. To his surprise, it slid open with ease. _Maybe she doesn't hate me. _Once inside, he was at a loss. He'd come now out of fear he'd lose his nerve if he waited until morning. However, he didn't want to wake her up either. After debating for a few minutes, he decided to head for the living room to sleep on the couch. _Hopefully, I won't scare the crap out of her when she wakes up later. _____

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He froze as the cat meowed. _Don't wake up. Don't wake up. Don't wake up. ___

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“What are you doing here? Do you know what time it is?”

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He sat on the foot of the bed with his back to her. 

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“I came to apologize,” he said. “I haven't been fair to you. I never should have come back here after that first night.” He looked over his shoulder at her and smiled mirthlessly. “I _did _try to stay away. I know I can't ask you to keep on this way. So I'm prepared to go all in, if you'll have me.”__

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She was quiet for a long time. Finally, she spoke. “I'm sorry too. I've had some time to process things, and I overreacted. You don't owe me anything. I invited you here, and I certainly never told you to leave. You wear that mask for a reason. I can respect that.”

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“So... we're okay?”

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“We’re okay; whatever ‘we’ are.” She smiled at him. “You must be tired.”

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“I'm used to not getting much sleep.”

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“That's not good for you.” 

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“Can we talk more in the morning? I'm going to the couch, okay?” he asked.

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“Just sleep here. It's a lot more comfortable.” She pulled down the covers and patted the other side of the bed. He looked at her skeptically. “Trust me, you don't want to sleep on that couch. Your back will kill you.”

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“Are you sure?”

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She shrugged. “It's a big bed. We're two adults. I can handle it if you can.”

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“Okay, if you're sure. Let me just get out of this thing.” He went to the bathroom and changed into a shirt and sweats from the bag he'd grabbed. He looked into the mirror. _Should I take the mask off now or wait until morning? _He decided to leave it on. She was already sleeping again when he returned to her bedroom. He slipped under the covers being careful to maintain his distance. Exhaustion overtook him as soon as his head hit the pillow.__

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***

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_“Wake up, Bludha-” ___

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Madi smacked her alarm to silence it. The morning sun poured through her windows. She groggily opened her eyes and stretched. Her foot touched his leg. At first, she’d thought last night had been a dream. _He really is here. _Then she turned over and looked at him. He had left his mask on but taken off the Nightwing uniform. _This is surreal. _The scars snaking out from underneath his tank top looked like a jigsaw puzzle. She could make out at least two from gunshot wounds. There were stitches on one of his biceps. _Those are new. _She ran her fingertips along them. He grabbed her hand.______

____

________________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____

“That tickles,” he said. “Good morning.”

____

________________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____

“How long have you been awake?” she asked. The white lenses were hiding his eyes.

____

________________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____

“Not long. I've been thinking.”

____

________________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____

“What about?”

____

________________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____

“This.” 

____

________________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____

“Wh-?” Before she could finish, his mask was gone. She turned away and covered her eyes. “No! Put it back on. I told you, you don't owe me _anything _.”__

____

__________________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____

He leaned over and gently uncovered her eyes, but she refused to open them. “Madi, open your eyes. You already know the truth. You knew when I carried you home, kicking and screaming. When you let me kiss you again.”

____

__________________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____

It was an unbearable eternity before she opened them. She gazed into those familiar blue eyes. “Dick Grayson.”

____

__________________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____

“Hi,” he said.

____

__________________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____

“Hi,” she said back.

____

__________________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____

He was still leaning over her, his face inches from hers. He brushed the hair off her face and stroked her cheek. “Say something.”

____

__________________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____

Her mind was racing. The safety net was gone. She said the first thing that came to mind. “Did you sleep well?” 

____

____________________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____

He smiled and propped his head up with his hand. “Do you realize this the second time I’ve slept in this bed? So, technically, we've slept together twice now.” Alarm flickered across her face, and he saw her muscles tense. “I'm just stating a fact. I'm not expecting anything. We can take things as slow as you want. I'm in no rush... Not that I don't want to. You're incredibly beautiful. And funny. And smart. And sexy.” She smiled bashfully and relaxed. “But this _is _a really comfortable mattress. I've been thinking about getting a new one. Do you think you could help me pick one out? And... I’m rambling... I do that when I'm nervous... I'm going to kiss you now, is that okay?”__

____

______________________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____

The sun's rays bounced off her golden hair and caused her green eyes to glow like jewels. He leaned in to kiss her softly. She didn't resist, so he moved closer and intensified the kiss, pulling her closer to him. She could feel his arousal as he pressed against her. Within his arms, Dick felt her shrink away. He released her and fell back onto his pillow.

____

______________________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____

“I'm sorry,” she apologized. 

____

______________________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____

“What for?”

____

______________________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____

“I don't want you to think I'm playing games. I know that the night I was drunk... But the truth is... It's just that...” She was almost panicking.

____

______________________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____

“Hey, it's fine, Madi. I meant what I said.” She breathed a sigh of relief. _Was she afraid I would force it? _“I was actually hoping we could spend the day together.”__

____

________________________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____

She sat up. “Did you get hit in the head? I have to work. In fact, I need to get moving. I'm going to be late.”

____

________________________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____

“About that... You're schedule may have been cleared.”

____

________________________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____

“What do you mean?”

____

________________________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____

“Bruce wants to meet you.”

____

________________________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____

“Bruce Wayne? I don't understand. Why so soon?”

____

________________________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____

He gave her a meaningful look. “He wants to size you up.”

____

________________________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____

“Why would he care so much?” As soon as the words were out of her mouth it hit her. Nightwing was Dick Grayson, adopted son of Bruce Wayne. Batman had taken up with a young sidekick not long after Dick had gone to live with Bruce. If Nightwing was an older Robin, then that meant that - “Bruce Wayne is Batman. Wait, there's another Robin _now _. Oh, my gosh. Someone should call CPS. Does he, like, just collect children to turn them into vigilantes?” she asked.__

____

__________________________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____

“It's not like that. Damian is Bruce's son.”

____

__________________________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__“That's not any better!” She put her head in her hands. “Oh, my head is swimming.”_ _

____

__________________________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____

“I'm afraid it gets worse. He wants to meet you tonight. At the Gotham City Youth Centre Charity Ball. Then he wants us to stay over at Wayne Manor so we can talk.”

____

__________________________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____

“I'm going to be sick.” 

____

__________________________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____

“I'm sorry. He told me last night.”

____

__________________________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____

“I can't go to Gotham today. I have to work. I don't even have a dress. Tell him it will have to be another day.”

____

__________________________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____

He smiled. “I'd love to see you try. But he's already taken care of your job, and the dress is no problem. We'll go shopping.”

____

__________________________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____

At that, Phineas came into the bedroom and started yowling. He had run out of patience for his breakfast. 

____

__________________________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____

“I guess that settles it then. I can't say you didn't try to warn me.”

____

__________________________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____

***

____

__________________________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____

“Mary, are you absolutely positive everything's fine?” Madi spoke into the phone while she stretched on the floor. Dick was in the shower, and she taken advantage of the moment to call her job.

____

__________________________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____

“Yes. All your patients have been taken care of. Bruce Wayne himself called this morning asking you be allowed off! He said you were needed in Gotham as the special guest of Dick Grayson for the charity gala tonight. Madi, I didn't even know you _knew _Dick Grayson, let alone were dating him!”__

____

____________________________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____

“It's a long story. We met a couple months ago. But I didn't call in for that. What about tomorrow? Am I cleared for tomorrow?”

____

____________________________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____

“Girl, Dr. Beck said you could take a week off, if you wanted. I think he's glad to finally see you have a personal life,” Mary confirmed.

____

____________________________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____

“Hey, Madi? Where do you keep the towels?” called Dick from the bathroom.

____

____________________________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____

“Oh. My. Gosh!” squealed Mary. “Is he in your apartment now? You've got to tell me. Is it true he’s really-”

____

____________________________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____

“I'll see you Monday, Mary,” she rushed and hung up the phone. She got up and retrieved a towel from the linen closet. She knocked on the door.

____

____________________________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____

“It's open,” he answered. 

____

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____

She opened the door and handed him the towel, keeping her eyes averted. He wrapped it around him.

____

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____

“You can look now,” he teased.

____

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____

Her cheeks flushed. Water was still dripping down his torso. She tried not to stare at him. He grinned at her, making her blush deepen. She shut the door, not saying a word. _Gosh, he's sexy. ___

____

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____

***

____

______________________________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____

“Red Robin to Nightwing. Come in.”

____

______________________________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____

“Good morning, Red.”

____

______________________________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____

“You're awfully chipper this morning. I analyzed the data you sent me. I may have found something, but the signal is still bouncing around all over the city. Obviously, a serious VPN. I’ll let you know when I pinpoint the location.”

____

______________________________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____

“Thanks. Good work. You must've worked all night. Did you get _any _sleep?”__

____

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____

“Not much. Did you?”

____

________________________________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____

“Enough. Will you be at the shindig tonight?

____

________________________________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____

“No, I'm still in New York. Why?”

____

________________________________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____

“No reason. Nightwing out.” He tossed his phone down on the bed.

____

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____

“Everything okay?” Madi was standing behind him.

____

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____

“Yeah. Just... work stuff. Are you ready to go?” He finished packing the Nightwing gear into his bag. 

____

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____

“I guess,” she said and rummaged through her knapsack. “What do I even bring for a weekend at Wayne Manor?”

____

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____

“What you packed is fine,” he assured her. He looked at her tattered backpack held together with patches. “We can get you a new bag if you want while we're shopping.”

____

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____

“No way. Me and this bag have history.”

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____

He smiled. “Are you ready? We need to get going. I want to show you something before we leave town.”

____

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____

***

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“What are we doing here?” Madi asked as they walked up another flight of stairs. He had brought her to a building a few blocks away from hers. By all counts, it seemed vacant although well cared for.

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He pulled out his keys and unlocked a door once they'd reached the top floor. “I live here.” Her surprise must have been written all over her face. “Did you think I lived in a cave?”

____

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“Or maybe a nest.”

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____

“Haha. Very funny.” He took her by the hand and led her inside to a modest loft apartment. To the untrained eye it was the bachelor pad of a fitness enthusiast, with more training equipment than furniture. Unbeknownst to her, there were hidden doors leading to secret compartments and rooms.

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She looked around in amazement. “Not at all what I was expecting.”

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“How so?”

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“I don't know. I figured a son of Bruce Wayne would have fancier digs.” 

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He smiled knowingly as he locked the door and reactivated his alarm system. “Well, I do own the building.” 

____

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____

“Oh?” Her surprise was evident again.

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____

He shrugged. “Most of it is empty. I haven't gotten around to renovating the whole thing yet. Just my living space and storage for my extracurriculars.”

____

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____

She sat down on the sofa. “Do you regret going with him? Do you ever think about what your life would be like if he hadn't adopted you?”

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____

He joined her. “Do I think I would've been better off? No. I was too old to be adopted by anyone else. The foster system was overtaxed. If he hadn't taken me in, I would've grown up at the Youth Centre, which was not a pleasant place at the time. The first night I was there, I got the crap beaten out of me. I think I would've had a much darker future.”

____

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____

“What kind of world do we live in where becoming a tween vigilante was the better option?”

____

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____

“In Bruce's defense, that was never his intention. It was months before I found out that he was Batman.”

____

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____

“I can imagine that conversation. ‘So kid, I like to go out at night dressed as a giant bat and hunt criminals. But, you grew up in the circus, so I'm sure you've seen stranger things. Are we cool?’”

____

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____

He chuckled. “That's not exactly how it happened. I was a bit of a handful back then, as you can imagine. I was hellbent on bringing my parents’ killer to justice. I would sneak out of the manor every night trying to track them down. One night, he caught me. He understood how I felt. He knew he couldn't stop me. So, he trained me to save my life. Along the way, he found a partner.”

____

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____

“But, why aren't you with him now? Why did you become Nightwing and go off on your own?”

____

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____

He smiled dolefully. “It's a long, complicated story. The short version is: I got shot. He got scared. He fired me as his partner thinking I would quit the game altogether. When I didn't, he said I couldn't use the Robin moniker anymore. Thus, I became Nightwing.”

____

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____

“He wasn't scared enough to stop having a Robin altogether.”

____

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____

“A source of some tension over the years. Damian is a special case. His upbringing before Bruce was... unique. If anything, being Robin has been good for him.” He rose. “Now, I just need to grab a couple things, and we’ll be on our way. Next stop, Gotham.”

____

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____


	7. Do My Time

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Maybe Bruce _is _a sadist. Dick always hated these kinds of parties. Now he's making Madi submit to them as well. And thanks for not mentioning an ex-girlfriend would be there too. As if things weren't already uncomfortable.__
> 
> I pictured Dick blasting something like "The Anthem" by Good Charlotte as he was getting ready. It would've been popular when he was a teen. Long live teenage rebellion!  
> 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> But I could never live the way they want  
> I'm gonna get by, and just do my time   
> Out of step while they all wait in line  
> I'm just a minor threat so pay no mind  
> Do you really want to be like them?  
> Do you want to be just another trend?  
> Do you want to be part of that crowd?  
> Cause I don't ever wanna  
> I don't ever want to be you  
>  "The Anthem" - Good Charlotte

“Oh, my lord. I don't think I can do this,” Madi said as they drove up to Wayne Manor. It's brick facade looming over her ominously. She half expected a colony of bats to come swarming over the rooftop and envelope the them. “Please don't make me get out of the car.”

“You'll be fine,” he said as he put the car in park. “Just think of them as difficult patients. Especially Damian.”

“Why?” She started panicking. “What's _wrong _with Damian?”__

____

“Nothing,” he said opening her door. “He's... different. You'll be fine. Come on.”

____

The front door opened before they reached it. Of course, they had been watched since entering the gate. Dick had undergone a retinal scan to get in. _A retinal scan. ___

______ _ _

“Master Richard, it's been too long!”

______ _ _

“Hi, Alfie. It's good really to see you.”

______ _ _

“And this must be Miss Madilyn, our house guest for the weekend. I'm Alfred. It's a pleasure, Miss.”

______ _ _

“It's very nice to meet you, Alfred.”

______ _ _

“Follow me, I'll show you to your rooms and then leave you to get settled. I'm sure you need to get ready for tonight.”

______ _ _

“Is Bruce around?” asked Dick.

______ _ _

“He and young Master Damian are out attending to a matter. He said they would see you at the gala.”

______ _ _

_Typical. _But Dick supposed he should be grateful for small blessings. He really hadn't wanted to deal with Bruce yet, but he would've liked to have spoken to Damian prior to introducing Madi to him. Of all of his family, he was most nervous about how those two would interact.__

________ _ _ _ _

They followed Alfred through the house. “I think I might get lost in here,” Madi said.

________ _ _ _ _

“When I first arrived, I thought this place was like Disneyland,” Dick said.

________ _ _ _ _

“Indeed, and you treated it like an amusement park. I lost count of how many times I told him, ‘Get down from there.’ Now, here we are,” said Alfred as he opened the doors to a massive suite. “You should find everything you need. Master Richard, you have your old room across the hall.”

________ _ _ _ _

“Seriously, Alfred, separate rooms?” asked Dick. This was a bit much. Bruce had instituted more of a “don't ask; don't tell” policy when it came to any romantic liaisons that happened in the manor when he'd gotten older. Beyond the sage counsel of “use protection,” they never talked about any of Dick’s relationships. Now he was enforcing a “separate rooms” rule? 

________ _ _ _ _

“Just following Master Wayne's instructions. You can take it up with him. When you're ready I shall drive you into town.” He shut the door behind him.

________ _ _ _ _

“I do believe this is bigger than my whole apartment, _Master Richard _,” she teased.__

__________ _ _ _ _ _ _

He set the boxes from their shopping excursion on the bed and started to open one. “Are you going to give me a little sneak peak?”

__________ _ _ _ _ _ _

She slapped his hands away. “No! I want it to be a surprise!”

__________ _ _ _ _ _ _

“Fine, have it your way, _Miss Madilyn _. I shall be across the hall if you need me.” He held her close before he left and whispered, “Thank you for doing this.”__

____________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

***

____________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

The room did indeed have everything she could need. The bathroom was fully stocked with every toiletry imaginable, most in her favorite brand. She found an assortment of clothes in the closet as well. All looked new and were in her size. There was fresh fruit and bottles of mineral water, a chilled bottle of wine if she needed something to calm her nerves, even an electric kettle with sachets of tea. It was nice, but also a little creepy. Like someone had done research on her. Was this standard Wayne hospitality or a veiled threat?

____________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

She sat down and put her head between her knees. _You can do this. _She took a couple deep breathes and stood up. _I can do this. I will do this. _____

_______________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

She opened her bag and started getting ready.

_______________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

***

_______________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Dick was waiting in the hall for her when she exited her room; the picture of a dashing heartbreaker in a classic black tuxedo. When he turned around and saw her, he was speechless. She'd chosen a simple blush colored gown, made of chiffon that floated over her body. Her hair was arranged in a braided updo, and she'd applied just enough makeup to make her creamy skin glow.

_______________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“What? Do I look okay? Is it too much? Is it enough?” she asked nervously.

_______________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

He found his voice again. “No, you're perfect. Stop being so worried. I've been going to these things since I was a kid. One of the privileges of being Bruce Wayne's ward. It's no big deal. Just smile and pretend the bad jokes are funny. You'll do fine. Once we get past the cameras.”

_______________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“Cameras?”

_______________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“Miss Madilyn, you look quite stunning,” said Alfred. “Are we ready to go?”

_______________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“Yes, Alfred,” answered Dick.

_______________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“Very well. Off we go,” he said. “Like a lamb to the slaughter.”

_______________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“What?!” 

_______________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“He's joking, Madi,” Dick said and gently ushered her toward the door.

_______________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

***

_______________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

By the time they pulled up to event hall, Madi felt like she was going to pass out. She could see a line of photographers blocking their way to the door.

_______________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“You weren't kidding about the cameras,” she frowned. 

_______________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“So, when they open the door, I get out first, then I'll help you out. People will be shouting at you. Ignore them. Focus on me. We’ll pose for a couple of pictures, and then walk in. Think you can handle that?”

_______________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“Um, sure.”

_______________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“Just smile. You'll be fine. I've got you.”

_______________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“Ok, Alfie we’re ready,” Dick said.

_______________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“As you wish, Master Richard. Poor little lamb,” he added under his breath. He drove up to the entrance.

_______________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Someone opened the door, and the quiet was shattered by a cacophony of people yelling and flash bulbs going off. She took Dick’s hand and held on for dear life. People were yelling at them to look their way, who was she, what was her name, when was Dick going to get married. Dick merely stood for a moment giving them a charming smile. She tried to remember to smile as well. Then he guided her away toward the door. It had lasted only a minute, but had left her dazed.

_______________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“You did great,” Dick said. “You have completed the first gauntlet. Now onto the second.”

_______________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“How many more are there?”

_______________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“Three. The next requires alcohol. But no tequila for you; it gives you a mean mouth.”

_______________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“Why does it require alcohol?”

_______________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“It helps make the bad jokes more bearable.” He picked up two glasses of champagne. “Here, drink this.”

_______________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

He proceeded to navigate her through the crowd of celebrities, socialites and politicians. Many had comments about remembering him as a boy at these events; how he'd been so adorable back then (older set) and how sexy he'd become (cougars). They asked when he was going to get serious about his life and do something meaningful (politicians). Several times she was blatantly ignored as women came onto him (socialites and celebrities). If she was acknowledged, Dick skillfully sidestepped the question of their relationship. Finally, they made it through the crowd and stepped onto the terrace for some fresh air. Thankfully, the night was not too chilly.

_______________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“That was intense,” she said. “You were right about the champagne helping.”

_______________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“I hope you don't mind my being vague about our relationship. I figured you'd want to minimize your publicity as much as possible. You're already going to be my mystery date. I figured you didn't want the added exposure that would go with being my girlfriend as well.”

_______________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

It was strange to hear him say that word out loud. “That was thoughtful of you.”

_______________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“I have a bit of experience with this mess. I'm sorry, it just goes with the territory.”

_______________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“So what's the third gauntlet?”

_______________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

He slowly spun her around and pointed to the brooding teenage boy standing alone. He wore an expression of disdain as he watched the partygoers. His eye caught Madi’s, and she could swear he sneered at her.

_______________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“Not a ‘what,’ it's a ‘who.’”

_______________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“Damian?”

_______________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“Correct. Do you have a battle plan?”

_______________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“What?!”

_______________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“Relax, it's a joke. Although, on our first meeting I did end up with ten stitches.”

_______________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“Are you serious? What happened?”

_______________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“Attacked me with his katana. He's actually quite a skilled swordsman.”

_______________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“Oh, my gosh.”

_______________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“I told you he was unique.”

_______________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“You weren't kidding.”

_______________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“Are you ready?”

_______________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“No.”

_______________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“Good. Let's go.”

_______________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

She felt like she'd been told to go pet a rabid dog. Damian was glaring at them as they approached.

_______________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“Damian, I'd like you to meet Madi. Madi, this Damian Wayne.”

_______________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Damian looked her up and down with a scowl. “Not exactly what I expected.”

_______________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“Oh, really? How so?” asked Dick unfazed.

_______________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“Well, your last girlfriend more... impressive.”

_______________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_Is this kid for real? _“Excuse me?” she asked.__

_________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“What do you do?”

_________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“I'm a physical therapist. I help people recover after injuries, regain their strength and mobility. What do you do?”

_________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

His scowl deepened. “I help my father. Which is something I assume you're already aware of due to Grayson’s lack of temperance.”

___________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“Well, you're quite full of yourself aren't you?” she asked. “I assume you have the goods to back up that attitude?”

___________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“Tt.” 

___________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“Do you thumb wrestle, Damian?”

___________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

He looked at her like she'd lost her mind. “Do I what?”

___________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“Thumb wrestle. I'll make you a bet. If I can beat you, you have to dance with me tonight.”

___________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“And when I win?”

___________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

She shrugged. “What are your terms?”

___________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

He thought about it for a minute. “You have to jump in that fountain. Full immersion.”

___________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

She held out her hand. “It's a deal.”

___________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

He shook her hand. “You're going to regret this.”

___________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“We’ll see.” She placed her arm down on the ledge to stabilize it. “Dick, if you would be so kind as to referee.”

___________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

He, too, was looking at her like she'd lost her mind. “Okay, do whatever you want. But I am _not _going swimming with you.”__

_____________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“Ye of little faith,” she said.

_____________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“Damian, please place your arm on the ledge. Your arms must remain in contact with the ledge at all times. No lifting your arms. You may not touch your opponent in any other way, Damian. To win, you must hold your opponent’s thumb down for a full five seconds. Do you understand these rules as I have spoken them?” Dick said.

_____________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“Yes,” Madi and Damian responded.

_____________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“Then on the count of three you may begin. One. Two. Three!”

_____________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

It was clear that Damian had underestimated her dexterity and strength. She made quick work of it, pinning him down in a matter of seconds.

_____________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“And it's a stunning upset, with Madi for the win!” Dick said, full of genuine surprise.

_____________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“I'll be looking forward to that dance later, Damian,” she said as Dick lead her away to leave Damian to sulk.

_____________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

They found a secluded corner. “That was incredible,” Dick said as he laced his fingers behind her back, drawing her closer to him. 

_____________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“And you doubted me.”

_____________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“I didn't know you were a thumb ninja.” He whispered in her ear, “What other secret skills are you hiding?”

_____________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“I can say the alphabet backwards. Can you?”

_____________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“No, but I can say it in nine different languages.” His lips were brushing hers now.

_____________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“My, that is a gifted tongue you have,” she said, the double entendre clear.

_____________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“Care for a demonstration?” He captured her mouth and proceeded to kiss her breathless. “Are you ready for the final gauntlet?” he asked when he let her come up for air.

_____________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“No,” she whispered, panting slightly.

_____________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“Good. Let's go.”

_____________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

He guided her back inside and up a flight of stairs. There were tables set for dinner and the dance floor. The musicians were already playing and people were dancing. Placing himself at the perfect vantage point to keep a watchful eye on everything, was a man who seemed to tower over them all. He had an easy smile and quick laugh as he conversed with guests. There was nothing obvious in his demeanor that should be making her heart race in fear. Yet, her throat went dry as they approached; Dick keeping his hand on the small of back gently prodding her along. _Alfred wasn't joking. I am a lamb to the slaughter._

_______________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“Hello, Dick. It's nice you could make it,” Bruce smiled when he saw them. “And who is this lovely thing you have with you?” He took her hand and kissed her knuckle.

_______________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“Bruce, this is Madi. Madilyn Wood meet Bruce Wayne.”

_______________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

She opened her mouth to speak, but no sound came out. She cleared her throat and tried again. “It's an honor, Mr. Wayne. Thank you for inviting me.”

_______________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“Nonsense. When Dick mentioned you, I said he simply must bring you. I had to meet the young lady who had captivated him so,“ Bruce said. His words were light and his smile appeared genuine, but she felt Dick tense behind her.

_______________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“Well, I assure you the feeling is mutual, Mr. Wayne,” she said.

_______________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“Dick, it's been awhile since you've come out to one of these things,” said the man beside Bruce. 

_______________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“Yes, you didn't tell me you were coming tonight,” said a beautiful redhead as she sauntered up. “And you even found a date last minute.”

_______________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“Madi, I'd like you to meet Commissioner Gordon and his daughter Barbara,” Dick said. “It was a spur of the moment kind of thing, Babs. Plus, I figured it was only fitting I come tonight. After all, if it wasn't for Bruce I would have grown up in the Youth Centre. Well, enjoy the party. I'm going to push her around the dance floor before dinner starts. Commissioner. Bruce. Barbara, always a pleasure.”

_______________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Dick extricated them from the conversation and lead her out to the dance floor. The trio watched as the couple swayed to the music. Dick whispered something in her ear, and she laughed. He spun her around and dipped her back. They were both full of laughter and smiles as they danced. 

_______________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“He certainly seems quite taken with her, doesn't he?” Barbara commented. “Is it serious?”

_______________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“Very,” said Bruce, his eyes not leaving the dancing pair.

_______________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“You don't seem pleased. Are _you _going into protective father mode? She seems nice enough,” Gordon said.__

_________________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“She's tolerable,” came a fourth voice. Damian had silently joined their group. Everyone looked at him in amazement. Without further acknowledging them, Damian squared his shoulders and marched off to cut in.

_________________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“Would you look at that? She's charmed the beast,” mused Barbara.

_________________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

***

_________________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“What's the story, Dick?” asked Barbara.

_________________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

They were sitting at the table alone while Damian was dancing with Madi after dinner. He had surprised everyone by accepting when she'd asked him to dance again. Throughout dinner, Madi had brushed off Damian’s slights with finesse; a skill developed from dealing with churlish patients. By the time the third course was served, they had progressed to witty banter. Dick could tell that Damian liked Madi despite trying hard not to.

_________________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“What do you mean, Babs?”

_________________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“Don't ‘Babs’ me, Dick Grayson. Who is she?”

_________________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“She's my date.”

_________________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“Don't try to play it cool with _me _. I know you too well. I see the way you look at her. She's more than just your date for tonight.”__

___________________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_This is ridiculous _. He did not need the third degree from Barbara Gordon. More than enough time had passed since they were anything more than coworkers. She herself had dated other people since him.__

_____________________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“Are you jealous, Barbara? Because you don't get to play that card anymore.”

_____________________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“Don't be absurd.”

_____________________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“Because, yes, we're together.”

_____________________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“Why, Dick?”

_____________________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

He looked at her in amazement. “What do you mean, ‘Why?’ I don't have to explain my love life to anyone, least of all you. _You _ended it, remember? ‘For good this time,’ I believe you said.”__

_______________________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“I'm worried about you, that's all. You pulled away from everyone after you and Bruce fought. Then you show up all of the sudden in a relationship with this new girl, a _civilian _, whom I'm guessing has _no idea _what she's gotten herself into. I'm concerned you're making choices that aren't good for anyone involved.”____

__________________________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“Don't be. It's none of your business. I'd hoped you'd be happy that I'm happy, but I guess we're not in that place yet.” 

__________________________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Dick stood as Madi came back with Damian.

__________________________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“Is everything okay?” she inquired.

__________________________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Dick kissed her on the cheek. “Everything’s fine. I just need some fresh air. Care to join me?”

__________________________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

***

__________________________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

The rest of the evening passed without incident. As all four got into the car to return to Wayne Manor, Alfred asked, “How was the lamb?”

__________________________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“A wolf in sheep’s clothing, Alfred,” answered Dick. Her kissed her on the forehead.

__________________________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

The car ride back was in uncomfortable silence. Damian stared out the window. Bruce checked his phone. Neither would look at them. Dick held her hand, but said nothing as well. 

__________________________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Finally, when they reached the manor Bruce spoke. “I'll see you at lunch tomorrow. We have some things to discuss. Good night.” With that, he and Damian got out of the car and entered the house without looking back.

__________________________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Dick walked her to her room.

__________________________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“Did you have fun?” he asked.

__________________________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“It was an adventure.”

__________________________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“When I was younger, I hated going to those parties. Being fawned over like a play thing. The women would use me to try to ingratiate themselves to Bruce. When I got older, well, you saw how they are.”

__________________________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“And I'm sure you hated every minute of that. ‘Oh, Dickie, if only I were younger.’ ‘Oh Dickie, you've gotten so... big.’ ‘When my husband dies, you better watch out.’”

__________________________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“It gets old after a while. I'm not like Bruce, I've never been good at playing that game.”

__________________________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“Has he ever had a real relationship?”

__________________________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“I think he's incapable.”

__________________________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“And you?”

__________________________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

He leaned against her door and rubbed the back of his neck. “Do you really want to talk about this?”

__________________________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“No, but I think it's only fair. You did a _background check _on me. For example, the redhead, Barbara, was throwing me some serious side eye all night.”__

____________________________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“She and I go way back. We've known eachother since we were kids.”

____________________________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“You never dated?”

____________________________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Dick looked down. _She doesn't miss anything. _“We tried it a couple times, but it never worked out. I think there's such a thing as having too much history with someone.”__

______________________________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“Okay,” she said. “Was she the ex Damian so tactfully mentioned?”

______________________________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“Um, no... That was one of those work-romance things. But that's been over for awhile. Besides those two, there's been no one serious.”

______________________________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“Just a lot of flings?”

______________________________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“You don't pull any punches do you?”

______________________________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“I think we're passed that, don't you?”

______________________________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“True.”

______________________________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“So, you think you're ready for this? A mature relationship with a normal girl?”

______________________________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

He pressed her up against the door and kissed her neck. “You, Madi, are far from normal. In fact, I'd say you were extraordinary.”

______________________________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

*** 

______________________________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

She awoke to the sounds of a muffled struggle. Then bodies hitting the wall and the floor. She heard something break.

______________________________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

She opened the door to find Dick wrestling with Damian. Neither appeared to be holding back.

______________________________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“What on earth is going on out here?” she asked.

______________________________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Dick shoved Damian off of him.

______________________________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“This miscreant attacked me,” Dick accused.

______________________________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“You were in violation of the terms of your stay. I caught you trying to breach her bedroom.”

______________________________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“No I wasn't, Damian! I couldn't sleep. I was going to the kitchen.”

______________________________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“Liar!”

______________________________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“Did Bruce put you up to this?” asked Dick, angrily. “This is absurd. And so hypocritical. As many women as he's brought home. If you were to shine a blacklight in this place...”

______________________________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“But it's my house,” said Bruce, who had appeared behind them.

______________________________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Enraged, Dick pushed Madi back into her bedroom, and shut the door behind him. “I knew it was a mistake coming here,” he said pacing. “He's just trying to play head games.”

______________________________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“Dick, calm down.”

______________________________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“He has to control everything!”

______________________________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“Dick.”

______________________________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

He grabbed her knapsack and started packing her things into it. “I'm sorry I brought you into this. I'm sorry I brought you _here. _Into this world. No one good can survive here. You're going to end up like us. Dark and twisted.”__

____

______________________________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____

“Dick!” She yanked her bag away from him. “It's okay. If I didn't want to be here, I would've locked my window.” She held his gaze until his breathing returned to normal. “Now, calm down. Go back to your room and get some sleep. I'll see you in the morning.” 

____

______________________________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____

She escorted him back over to the door and opened it. He kissed her forehead and then touched his forehead to hers, gazing into her jade green eyes. 

____

______________________________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____

“I love you, Madi.”

____

______________________________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____

His eyes opened wide as he realized what he had just said. He didn't wait for her response before he left and closed his bedroom door behind him.

____

______________________________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I know it seems he blurted the the four letter word rather quickly. He didn't necessarily mean to say it aloud. Hence, he fled the scene.  
> I do feel that in the comics, he has always gotten emotionally attached rather fast in his relationships. Therefore, this isn't really out of character for him.
> 
> What are your thoughts?


	8. See It All

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> She survived the gala, but will she survive today? Madi begins to wonder what exactly she has gotten herself into. Meanwhile, Dick's attempts to keep his personal and work lives separate are failing miserably.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'll walk down the mall, stand over by the wall  
> Where I can see it all, find out who you call  
> Lead you to the supermarket checkout  
> Some specials and rat food  
> Get lost in the crowd  
> One way or another I'm gonna get ya  
> "One Way Or Another" - Blondie

Dick went down to the Batcave early that next morning, knowing he would find Bruce there. He paused on the catwalk that overlooked the main level and remembered his first time here. Batman had revealed himself as Bruce Wayne, and his life changed forever. In fact, as a youth, he was the one who had christened this place the Batcave.

“Do you need something?” inquired Bruce, shaking him out of his nostalgia.

“What was that last night? I'm getting _really _tired of your tests, Bruce.”__

____

Bruce met Dick's glare with his own. “There was never a test, Dick. I had a separate room prepared for Madi so she would have a private space to collect her thoughts. I imagined this weekend would be quite stressful. You interpreted it how you did.”

____

“And what about Damian?”

____

A hint of a smile appeared. “Damian is Damian.” His attention returned to the computer. “Will there be anything else? If not, go back up. I'll see you both at lunch.”

____

Dismissed, he walked back to the elevator connecting the manor and the cave. He hated to admit it, but Bruce was right. He was jumping to conclusions and overthinking things. 

____

“Red Robin to Nightwing, come in.”

____

“I'm here.”

____

“Somebody’s grumpy. No ‘good morning’ today?”

____

“I'm in Gotham.” 

____

“Oh. Enough said. Look, I wanted to let you know I was able to narrow it down enough that once a call goes active, we'll be able to triangulate the signal and find the location. Has Batman found anything in Gotham?”

____

“He hasn't said. I'll ask. Thanks for the update. Nightwing out.”

____

He groaned and headed back into the cave.

____

***

____

Madi awoke the next day, full of anxiety. Today was The Talk. What was that even supposed to mean? Was it code for sending her to some undisclosed location, never to be heard from again? After all, she wouldn't be missed by many people. It would be easy to “disappear” her.

____

She considered that as she stretched on the floor. Bruce Wayne could just tell people he found her another job or something. No one would think twice. People already thought she was crazy for choosing to live in Bludhaven, everyone wanted out of there if they could. 

____

She made a cup of tea and ate an apple. If questioned about her disappearance, they could just say she'd been overwhelmed by their high profile lifestyle and decided she wanted nothing more to do with Dick Grayson. They hadn't heard from her since. The gala had been part of his genius ruse.

____

Her phone buzzed with a message from Mary. 

____

MARY: HOW WAS IT? DID U DRINK CHAMPAGNE AND DANCE THE NITE AWAY?

____

MADI: IT WAS FUN. INTIMIDATING BUT FUN.

____

MARY: HOW WAS THE AFTER PARTY? ;)

____

MADI: THERE WAS NO AFTER PARTY.

____

MARY: BOO. UR SO BORING. :p

____

Madi smiled. Mary would miss her. _Oh, well. Better enjoy my last hours of freedom _. She knocked on Dick's door; no answer. She cracked it open and peered in cautiously; he wasn't there.__

______ _ _

She decided to do a little exploring and wandered down a few hallways until she found an open door. She peeked in; it was a library. Seemed as good a place as any to pass some time. She entered and started looking through the collection of novels. She found a good one and sat down.

______ _ _

A head popped up from a nearby sofa. Damian.

______ _ _

“I'm sorry. Should I go? Is this your private space?” she asked.

______ _ _

“No, you can stay.” He looked at her book. “What did you pick?”

______ _ _

“‘The Hound of the Baskervilles.’ Have you read it?”

______ _ _

“Not yet.”

______ _ _

“It's good. I read it in high school. You'd probably like Sherlock Holmes stories. Were you reading something?”

______ _ _

“Not at the moment. I was just thinking. It's nice to have Grayson around again.”

______ _ _

“Again?”

______ _ _

“He and Father had a fight last year. He hadn't been back since. Would you like to play chess?”

______ _ _

His question caught her off guard. “Sure.” After they had been playing awhile she said, “Can I ask you something?” 

______ _ _

“If you must.”

______ _ _

“Should I be afraid?”

______ _ _

Damian didn't look up from the board. “Well, Batman doesn't kill.” Then he made his move and captured her queen. “I, however, was trained by the League of Assassins.”

______ _ _

She looked at her options. They didn't look good. “So, it's you I should worry about? Not your father?” She made a defensive move.

______ _ _

“That depends. Check.”

______ _ _

“On what?” She made another defensive move.

______ _ _

“Only if you hurt Grayson. Checkmate.”

______ _ _

She looked at the board. So it was. Done ruthlessly and brilliantly.

______ _ _

“Well played, Damian.”

______ _ _

“There you are. I've been looking for you.” Dick entered the library. “I thought you'd vanished.”

______ _ _

“Not yet,” she said.

______ _ _

“What?” he asked, slightly perplexed.

______ _ _

“Nothing.”

______ _ _

“Has Damian been torturing you?”

______ _ _

She peeked over at Damian. “No, just annihilating me.”

______ _ _

“Well, come with me, I want to show you something,” Dick took her by the hand. “Damian, you can come too, if you want.” He lead her through the house and stopped in front of a set of massive double doors. “I thought you'd appreciate this.”

______ _ _

Beyond the doors was a gym. It had obviously been tailored to their special needs, with various punching dummies, sparring equipment, and targets. Various weapons lined the walls. But there was also gymnast rings, tumbling mats, and bars.

______ _ _

“Impressive,” she said.

______ _ _

“You said you were a gymnast, right?” he asked.

______ _ _

“When I was younger.”

______ _ _

“Surely, you must still have some moves. Come on, let's see them,” Dick encouraged. “I will if you will.” She looked at him skeptically. 

______ _ _

Damian was leaning against the wall. “She can't do it anymore.”

______ _ _

“Oh, really?” With that, she took off her shoes; glad her clothes allowed for movement. She walked over to the mat, took a deep breath, and did a back handspring.

______ _ _

“That's child's play,” Damian said.

______ _ _

“We weren't all trained by ninjas,” she said. “But I have one more trick, that for us mere mortals is an accomplishment.”

______ _ _

She walked to the edge of the mat. She took off running, then launched herself into a roundoff, backspring, and back flip. Dick applauded. 

______ _ _

“I showed you mine. Now show me yours,” she said.

______ _ _

He walked over to the gymnast rings and jumped up. He pulled himself into an iron cross, then rounded up into a handstand, and finished with a classic dismount.

______ _ _

“Impressive,” she said. 

______ _ _

“Grayson!” called Damian as he threw eskrima sticks at him. Dick caught them without difficulty. Without hesitation, Damian charged at him; sword in hand. 

______ _ _

_That's a real sword. _She knew that it was normal for brothers to rough house, but typically deadly weapons were not involved. As she watched them, she wasn't sure for whose safety she should be more concerned.__

________ _ _ _ _

“Lunch is served,” Alfred appeared at the door. He did not seem the least bit alarmed by the scene in the room. 

________ _ _ _ _

“Is there any risk of them of them actually hurting each other?” she asked.

________ _ _ _ _

“More than likely,” said Alfred drily. “My money is on Master Damian,” he added as he walked away.

________ _ _ _ _

“Um, boys? Break for lunch?” Madi tried unsuccessfully to get their attention.

Suddenly, a batarang was thrown between them and landed on the wall behind them. They stopped fighting. Bruce stood in the doorway. He said nothing and walked away. 

________ _ _ _ _

________ _ _ _ _

_I have gone down the rabbit hole._

__________ _ _ _ _ _ _

***

__________ _ _ _ _ _ _

The food that had been prepared was delicious, although nerves had stolen most of her appetite. Throughout the meal they made polite conversation; why she had chosen physical therapy, about her cat Phineas, and Damian's growing menagerie of animals. It wasn't until the plates were cleared that the topic changed to the elephant in the room.

__________ _ _ _ _ _ _

“You know the real reason you're here,” said Bruce.

__________ _ _ _ _ _ _

“I do.”

__________ _ _ _ _ _ _

“Dick revealing his identity affected more people than just himself. In doing so, he exposed not only me, but Damian as well. There are also other associates whose identities may have also been compromised by his actions. So, understand my reservations are not personal. Our masks are worn to protect the people we care about. I can only hope you understand the seriousness of the matter, and this is not a mere bit of fun for you.”

__________ _ _ _ _ _ _

“Bruce, I hardly think that's fair-”

__________ _ _ _ _ _ _

“No, it's fine," Madi cut Dick off. "He has every right to question me. He doesn't know me. Rest assured, Mr. Wayne, I'm not stupid or naive. I know you're taking a huge leap of faith.” She continued, “As for my relationship with Dick? That's between him and I. All _you _need to know is that I will never betray his confidence. Or yours.”__

____________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Bruce slid two small boxes over to her. “These are now yours. Keep them on you at all times. The first is a new cell phone. Your old one has been cloned so all of your previous data is in there, and the number is the same. This one is equipped with better tracking surveillance, and I've taken the liberty of adding some numbers to your contacts. The necklace is equipped with a panic button in the jewel. Press it down, and it will activate. I'm sure Dick can answer any questions for you.” He rose. “Excuse me, but I have business to attend to. Enjoy the rest of your stay.”

____________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

He left, and Damian followed. With slightly trembling hands, she opened the first box. It contained the cell phone. It was identical to hers, down to the scratch in the corner. She turned it on. If she didn't know better it was her old phone. 

____________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“How does he do that?” she asked. “It's really creepy.”

____________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

It second box was a gold necklace of a winged bird. The body of the bird was made of a sapphire. Dick lifted it out of the box, and fastened it around her neck. 

____________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“I thought this would be appropriate,” he said referring to the emblem. She fingered the necklace. The reality of the situation really sinking in. She now had a panic button and constant surveillance. “Careful, you don't want to trigger it. Are you okay?”

____________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“It's just a lot to take in.”

____________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“I know. But it's meant to keep you safe, not infringe on your privacy. I promise, I'll try to keep your life as normal as possible. I can actually come in through the front door now,” he joked. “I can take you to dinner.”

____________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“That will be nice.”

____________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“Come on, let's go home.”

____________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

***

____________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

He peered over at her as they drove back to Bludhaven. She was gazing out the window, fingering the necklace she had received. He felt like he'd just given her an anchor.

____________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

When he gone back into the cave after talking with Tim, Bruce had confirmed he had found the same thing. He too was just waiting for the signal to go active.

____________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“I've already called in a team. They will be ready when it goes live. Based on the pattern I've been noticing, it should be tonight. Will you be ready to go?”

____________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“I will. We're heading back after lunch.”

____________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“This is a bad time to have your head clouded. What were you thinking, Dick?”

____________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“She gets it, Bruce. She gets me. There _is _life outside this world, you know.”__

______________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“Just make sure that when you're in this world, you're in it. Remember what I said to you that first day in the cave. ‘I'm Bruce Wayne, and I'm Batman, but never both at the same time.’”

______________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“And you didn't cross that line with Selina and Talia?”

______________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“Neither of which ended well, did they? That girl up there… You really want to put her through the stress of worrying about you on while you're on patrol, away on missions, and constantly looking over her shoulder for the rest of her life?” Dick didn't answer. “I know this life is hard. I know it's been hard on you since Kori-”

______________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“This isn't about Kori. Or anyone else besides us. It happened. Was it stupid? Yes, I'll admit that, but I don't regret it.”

______________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“I hope you don't come to.”

______________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

He'd walked out of the cave to find Madi. He'd left her alone in the house long enough. He'd been surprised to find her with Damian. 

______________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“Penny for your thoughts,” Dick offered.

______________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“I'm just wondering how this is going to work. I mean, the logistics of it all. How do I answer questions?”

______________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“Well... we met at Gotham Gen. That's true. You completely shot me down at first.”

______________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“Also true.”

______________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“Then we ran into each other later in Bludhaven and got to talking. Found out we had more in common than we knew. For the most part, you can tell the truth.”

______________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“So, I have to ask. All those times we ran into each other when you were in your day clothes, was it coincidence or planned?”

______________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“That first time at Gotham Gen was complete coincidence. I was shocked to see you there. I never expected to see you again. You were supposed to be just another person that I'd helped.”

______________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“So what changed? Why was I so special?”

______________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“You're joking, right?”

______________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“Humor me. In the last few days, I've started dating again for the first time in three years, and it's with a superhero. A real one. Not only that, he apparently comes from a family of superheroes. I'm sure all your friends are superheroes. You have at least one ex-girlfriend that's a superhero. Do you see where I'm going with this?”

______________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“When you put it that way... Okay, you were real. Genuine. Bold. A minute after I saved your life, you were bossing me around about taking care of my head. The next day, you completely blew me off. You didn't care who I was.”

______________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“And you found that attractive?”

______________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“It _intrigued _me. So, I'll admit I heard your plans to go to the bar after work, and I went there hoping to see you again.”__

________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“I knew it!”

________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“The more we talked, the more I wanted to get to know you.”

________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“So, that’s why you came back for your ‘follow up?’ An excuse to see me?”

________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“Yeah. I swear, the other times, the tea and the bar, were pure coincidence. I didn't cyber stalk you until after the night I carried you home. I had to know why you were so upset.”

________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“I don't think I've ever properly thanked you for that night," she said quietly. "It meant a lot to me. What you did... and wouldn't do... Why did you check on me as Nightwing and not as _you _?”__

__________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“I was afraid you wouldn't want to see Dick Grayson. You were so embarrassed that morning. You looked horrified at the thought we had slept together. I wanted to give you some time.”

__________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“But it lead to me figuring everything out.”

__________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

He eyed her. “So when did you _really _know?”__

____________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“When you kissed me again. I wasn't so drunk that I couldn't remember what kissing you felt like. But the deal sealer was the bite mark on your shoulder. What were the chances of a matching set of those?”

____________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“I'm going to have to watch you, aren't I? You'll have everyone unmasked before the year’s out, won't you?”

____________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“No promises.”

____________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

***

____________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“Sending you the coordinates now. Does everyone have them?” asked Alfred.

____________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“Received, Penny One.”

____________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“While you proceed to those coordinates, I'm going to the Electric and Steam where the break in was reported so we won't tip them off. Red Robin?” Dick spoke to his assembled team.

____________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“Yes, Nightwing?”

____________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“This time, I want their hard drive copied. I want to know what they're doing in my town.”

____________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“Shouldn't be a problem with our out of town visitor.”

____________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“I can be in and out in a flash.”

____________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

The group audibly groaned at his lame joke.

____________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“Everyone clear on their role?”

____________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

They confirmed.

____________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“Alright. Let's do this.”

____________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

They needed to break this. It had been going on for too long. He arrived at Consolidated Bludhaven Electric and Steam. Everything looked quiet. He checked the perimeter. Nothing looked out of the ordinary. He moved closer. All the guards seemed to be unalarmed and accounted for. He checked for hidden entities or suspicious movement with infrared. Nothing. Another false alarm. He waited just to be sure.

____________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“Flash to Nightwing, come in.”

____________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“I'm here. Report.”

____________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“We got it.”

____________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“Rendezvous at the point. Good work. Nightwing out.”

____________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

He breathed a sigh of relief. Finally, some progress. He met up with Flash, Red Robin, and Batgirl. 

____________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“There's some major encryption on these files. It may take a while to break,” Tim said.

____________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“At least we have something to work with. Excellent job. Go home, there won't be anything else happening here tonight.”

____________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“Going home to your new lady?” asked Tim.

____________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Dick groaned. “Gossiping on the job?” he asked Barbara.

____________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“Why didn't you say something?” Tim asked. “I would've come yesterday if I'd known.”

____________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“Your name hasn't come up. I was trying to maintain your cover. She put two and two together with Batman and Robin, but so far no one else is compromised.”

____________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“So, she’s smart. Fabulous,” said Barbara sarcastically. “Try to see that you don't blow my cover too.” She turned around and jumped off the ledge.

____________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“Wow, ‘hell hath no fury’ like Batgirl,” said Wally.

____________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“She's upset because learned about her from a tabloid reporter and not you. They asked her what she thought of your new girlfriend before she'd even had the chance to meet her. Caught her off guard. She'll get over it. Anyway, I'm going to take this to the cave and get to work,” said Tim and then followed her off the ledge.

____________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Wally remained there with a grin on his face. “So spill. Is she hot? And why didn't you say anything when you were in Keystone?”

____________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“I'm sorry, man, but I don't want to talk about it tonight. It's been a long day. I'll catch you up soon, I promise. Thanks for the assist tonight.” He shot his grappling hook and swung down. He walked over to where he'd hidden his bike. He wasn't sure where to go. Should he stay on patrol? Should he go see her? He sent her a text.

____________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Madi opened one eye and looked at her phone. Sure enough, it had gone off. 

____________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

D: R U AWAKE?

____________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

M: YOU SRSLY DID NOT JUST SEND ME A ‘U UP?’ TEXT

____________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

D: NO…NOT ON PURPOSE. 

____________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

M: WHAT DO YOU WANT?

____________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

D: SHOULD I COME OVER?

____________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

M: IT'S LATE. SLEEPING. REAL PPLE SLEEP. TRY IT. GOOD FOR YOU.

____________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

He smiled as he put away his phone. He'd stay out on patrol.

____________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a note on ages here. I made reference in an earlier note about them being older than most continuities. In this world, Dick has hit the big 3-0. Jason is in his mid-twenties. Tim is in his early twenties. Damian is 15.


	9. Could Hold You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Madi didn't just dip her toe back into the dating scene; she jumped into the deep end. Now she's hoping she can remember how to swim. Dick starts to realize there may be another shadow lurking in her past. 
> 
> This chapter may warrant a higher rating as their relationship gets taken to the next level in more ways than one. Reader discretion advised. Nothing too graphic.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I could hold you for a million years  
> To make you feel my love  
> I know you haven't made your mind up yet  
> But I will never do you wrong  
> I've known it from the moment that we met  
> No doubt in my mind where you belong  
> "Make You Feel My Love" - Bob Dylan

Madi was not looking forward to going into work today, knowing she'd be flooded with questions. She summoned her courage and entered the clinic. As expected, Mary immediately grabbed her arm and dragged her into the employee lounge.

“Girl, spill _everything _.”__

____

“Mary, I _already _told you everything. He needed a date to this fancy party, and then we ate lunch with his family. That's pretty much it.”__

______ _ _

“You are lying through your teeth.” She opened the newspaper sitting on the table to the gossip section. There was big article about the gala, including a special box on ‘Dick Grayson’s New Girl.’ She groaned and collapsed into a chair. _He warned me about this. _Not only did it have a picture from their arrival, but some paparazzo had managed to get a shot of their kiss on the terrace, one of him holding her closely while dancing, and a photo of her dancing with Damian (She enchants the whole family!). “Now spill the beans. You're dating Dick Grayson!”__

________ _ _ _ _

“Yes.”

________ _ _ _ _

“From these pictures, you two look pretty serious. You must be, if you're meeting his family.”

________ _ _ _ _

“Yes.”

________ _ _ _ _

Mary saw her necklace. “And you never wear jewelry. Is that from him?”

________ _ _ _ _

“Yes.”

________ _ _ _ _

“Madi, I'm not trying to tell you how to live your life, but in the two years I've known you, you don't date. I can barely get you to go out with us after work. You go to the gym and home to your cat. When you do _finally _date someone, it's him? I mean, don't get me wrong, the man is gorgeous. But aren't you worried you might be in a little over your head? He's a _Wayne _for crying out loud!”____

___________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“Probably.”

___________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Mary shot her a concerned look. “Just be careful. I don't want to see you get hurt.”

___________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

***

___________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Madi made it through the day. Dick surprised her at the clinic when it was time to go.

___________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“I thought I'd walk you home,” he said. “How did it go? I saw the paper. I'm sorry about that.”

___________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“It's okay. It was bound to happen sooner or later, right?”

___________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

He kissed her temple as they walked. “What do you want to do, now that we've been outed? Do you want to go to dinner? What would you normally do?”

___________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“Normally, I would head to the gym, but I'm tired. I think I just want to go home. Do you mind?”

___________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“Not at all.” He held her hand as they walked down the street.

___________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

***

___________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Dick was surprised at how quickly they settled into a new normal. He'd admit he had been worried how everything would work. This was uncharted territory for him too. They'd agreed on some ground rules. Nightwing was no longer allowed in her apartment for safety reasons. If he didn't have a shift tending bar, he'd meet her after work and walk her home. They'd spend the evening together until it was time for her to go to sleep. Then he'd go home to prepare for the night's patrol.

___________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

On rare occasions, they would stay at his place, and he would return to find her sleeping in his bed. He loved those nights. His favorite moments were when he would find her listening to music; singing and dancing around the apartment as she did mundane chores. He'd discovered that music was a barometer to her mood and dancing meant that it had been a good day.

___________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

The other thing that caught him by surprise was how much he liked that she _wasn't _out there fighting beside him. They would talk about what he did. She was very frank about the whole thing. In fact, it had made him laugh the first time she'd asked him about his night the same way she would've asked about his day at the office. But having someone who was only involved in the "ordinary, everyday things" was a stabilizing factor he'd never known he needed before her. He only hoped he was as good for her as she was for him.__

_____________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

One night, they were laying in bed before he left for the night, he saw her playing with the necklace with a far away look in her eyes. He propped himself up on his elbow and watched her. 

_____________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“Does it make you feel like a caged bird?” he asked.

_____________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

She glanced over at him. “No. Why?”

_____________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“I just worry sometimes.”

_____________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“Well, stop. I'm happy.” She rolled over so they were face to face. “I was actually thinking about you.”

_____________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“Me?”

_____________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“I was thinking about how glad I am you were there that night. Until then, I was just going through the motions, you know. Even, my social life was routine. When I thought I was about to die, I wasn't that upset because my life was so shallow. Isn't that terrible?”

_____________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“I can understand it.”

_____________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“And then, there you were. You showed up in my life when I needed you most. So this,” she held up the necklace, “is nothing. Because I get this,” she rested her other hand on his chest where she could feel his heart beating, “in return.” 

_____________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“And the fact that I'm incredibly good looking isn't even a small bonus?” he teased.

_____________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

She sat up and leaned over him. “I personally find it a minus. I have to fend off all those cougars at the parties. It's really annoying. I'm mean look at this hair. Have you ever had a bad hair day?”

_____________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“I went through a phase with a ponytail. Does that count?”

_____________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“And these shoulders? And these abs?”

_____________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“I _was _able to carry you six blocks.”__

_______________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“And does your uniform need to have such tight pants? Really now?”

_______________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“They say if you've got it, flaunt it.”

_______________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“You're incorrigible.”

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“Oh, really?” He gently pushed her back over to her side of the bed and smiled down at her. He sighed as he brushed a stray lock of her hair off her face. 

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They'd been together for over a month now, and, as promised, he was letting her set the pace. Yet, unlike everything else in their relationship, things weren't progressing; almost the opposite. It was confusing. They would kiss and cuddle, but as soon as anything even hinted at going further, she became apprehensive. He remembered her drunken baseball reference; he may have skipped straight to second base, but now he felt stuck there. One night, they'd been making out like a pair of teenagers. Her dress had ridden up, and his hand went to her bare leg. When he’d slid it upward to her inner thigh, she'd immediately shied away from his touch. 

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“I'm sorry,” she’d apologized, knowing her recoil had hurt his feelings.

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“It's fine,” he’d said, though obviously frustrated. “But can you... can you at least _tell _me what I'm doing wrong?”__

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“It's not that-”

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“Then what is it?" Dick had sighed, trying not to sound impatient. "I'm not trying to pressure you, Madi. I just want to understand what's going on with you. There's obviously something.”

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“It's complicated, Dick. This isn't easy for me.”

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“I get that, but why? Talk to me. You can tell me anything.” A thought then occurred to him. Given their ages and the fact that, technically, she had made the first move (twice), he hadn't considered it before. He'd asked the next question carefully, "Madi, are you a virgin?"

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Her eyes had flown open, and she'd blushed scarlet. "Does it matter? You're not," she'd answered defensively.

Dick had studied her reaction. "You're right, I'm not; and I don't care if you are or not," he'd replied slowly. "I only asked because you're so... uncomfortable. You actually let me touch you more in the beginning, then you do now. Do you realize that?"

She'd struggled to find the words to explain and wouldn't look at him. "I never dated in high school. I went to prom with a friend, a boy from the men's team. My first kiss was a dare; it wasn't anything romantic. My fiancé was my first boyfriend. My first everything... It wasn't a good experience... I'm just not ready yet.”

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Dick was no stranger to bad breakups, and this guy had evidently done a number on her. Madi had never spoken about her ex-fiancé before, and he'd taken for granted that she'd moved on. Without realizing it, their relationship had catapulted past casual and into serious when he'd revealed his identity. He'd never even taken her on a proper date before taking off his mask. It was only fair that she'd want to take this part slow, especially if she was still nursing some scars.

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Since that night, he'd been careful not to press her intimacy boundaries. But nights like tonight, when she was being playful and unintentionally sexy, all he wanted to do was ravish her. _At least I can blow off some steam on patrol. ___

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“I love you.”

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The weighted words hung in the air. Madi looked up at him nervously, waiting for his reaction. It was the first time she had said them. The night he'd uttered them at Wayne Manor, the words had stumbled out more as a realization than a declaration. He hadn't said it again, and she'd never brought it up. It was as if it'd never happened. Seeing her anxiety now, Dick knew they had been difficult for her to say.

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“I love you too, Madi.” 

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He gently cupped her cheek and brushed his lips against hers. Delicate fingers threaded through his thick hair and held his mouth to hers. Kissing her felt like falling; a beautiful calm in a rush of adrenaline. His other arm slid around her back, cradling her body to his; slowly, asking permission with every inch. A soft bite on his lower lip and a leg entwined around his was his answer. A hand slipped under his shirt onto his muscular chest. The feel of her touch against his sent a rush of blood coarsing through him. Unlike before, she didn't flinch away. He looked at her questioningly. In response, she slowly removed his shirt and ran her hands down the length of his spine, resting on the small of his back to pull him closer. He could feel her pulse quickening. There was a question whispered in her ear, and a timid nod of confirmation. Piece by piece, clothing came off until there was nothing left between them. Not wanting to rush to moment, he traced his fingertips along her exposed skin, savoring the feeling of it respond to his touch. His hands moved down slowly feeling every curve, a perfect balance of strength and softness. Kisses started at her neck and descended to her collarbone, to her chest, and to her taut stomach before returning to her lips. She gasped quietly against his mouth. 

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Afterwards, neither one spoke for awhile. He held her, running his fingers along her back, at a loss. First times could be awkward, and it hadn't been bad. But it certainly had not gone like he'd expected. His shoulders stung where her nails had dug into them. Her grip had been hard on his arms, but it had felt more like she was bracing herself than a response to pleasure. She'd become unnaturally quiet throughout, and now she wouldn't even look at him. The combination of it all made him feel like he'd done something wrong. 

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“Madi, did I hurt you?”

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She seemed alarmed by his question, and finally looked up at him. “No.” She bit her lip.

Another option was possible; one that made him feel worse. "You didn't do it just for me, did you? Did you really want to, Madi?"

Her eyes darted back down. "I-... I did. Want to, I mean. But it was... different than I thought it would be."

_What? _"What do you mean, 'different?' Like 'bad' different?"__

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Madi took a ragged breath, as if she were on the verge of tears. “No. Dick, please, I don't want to talk about it. I'm sorry, but there's some things I'm not ready to tell you yet, but I _will _tell you. One day. For now, just know that I wish I would've met you a long time ago.”__

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_That's cryptic. _He sighed and held her tighter. _There's no way I'm leaving after this. _He closed his eyes, hoping to sleep, but her words kept replaying in his mind.__ __

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They finally cracked the encryption, but it caused more questions than answered. The hackers belonged to an organization that referred to itself as the Conglomerate, a faction no one had heard of before. It was still unsure what exactly their purpose was. Files only referred to “assets,” but one document seemed to contain the name of a ship. He and Luke were assigned to do a little recon at the Bludhaven ports while Batman and Robin checked Gotham's.

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They found it at the Bludhaven City Dock and decided to split up. Luke went to check the manifests in the main offices, and Dick stealthily boarded cargo ship in question. It seemed all but abandoned now. Whatever “assets” that were delivered had since been unloaded. He radioed Luke to let him know.

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“Nightwing to Batwing.”

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Nothing.

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“Batwing, come in.” 

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Silence. He checked his phone. It was dead. Strange. It was fully charged when he'd left that night. This wasn't a coincidence. Someone had fried it. He pulled out his eskrima sticks, ready to engage whoever was out there.

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Then his optics failed. No, everything in his mask was dead. Like it had been shorted out. He swore. Thankfully, he'd learned his lesson about having safety protocol in place after a villain had used his own mask against him. These lenses didn't render him blind if overridden. They just became ineffective as an aid. He would have to rely on his own eyesight in the dark.

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He felt the sting of a blade on his back. He whirled around but saw no one. 

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“Come out, come out wherever you are,” Dick chanted. “You know Hide ‘n Seek is one of my favorite games.”

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A blade bit him again; on the leg this time. He turned in the direction of the attack, but again saw only shadows. They were toying with him, like a cat with its prey. 

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“You prefer a nice game of Tag instead I see,” he said to the darkness. 

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He listened carefully for the sound of any movement. He spun back around and brought one of his sticks down hard upon a black shrouded figure. He felt another come up behind him and turned to face that one. _Great. Multiple assailants in a confined space, my favorite. ___

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He discovered quickly that these were not run of the mill thugs but highly skilled combatants. And they moved fast. _They're just as fast as me. _He had to reach an open space if he had any hope of getting out in one piece.__

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“How about Leapfrog?” he asked and leapt over of his attackers. 

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Two were more waiting for him. They knocked him onto his back as soon as his feet touched the ground. He felt a rib crack. 

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“Red Rover, now? Come on guys! Pick one and stick to it!” He joked but he knew the odds were stacking up against him quickly.

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He swept his leg in a low arch to knock them off their feet. Something hard applied pressure against his throat. He flipped this one over his head, only to have another hit him hard in the ribs; hearing the sickening snap of broken bones again. _I have to get out of here before they decide to stop playing with their food. _Then knives again. Multiple slashes burned his back and chest. With a gutteral yell, Dick charged toward the exit.__

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Once outside, seven black shrouded figures encircled him; cutting off further retreat. One stepped forward to challenge him, a female holding a pair of butterfly swords. Only her taunting dark eyes were visible. Rivulets of blood dripped down his body, and Dick started to feel lightheaded. _Stay on your feet. _Her first move was a feint; testing him. _Come on, Luke. Where are you? _The following strikes were faster and meant to draw blood. More than that, they were intended to maim, if not kill. Dick deflected what he could with his failing strength. The effects of blood loss taking their toll.____

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She disarmed him, his eskrima sticks flying out of reach. Then, cold steel carved its way deep into his abdomen, and all the air left his lungs. He dropped to his knees and looked down at the wound. Blood was pulsing out. _Get back up _, he willed himself and tried to stand, but blinding pain from the effort nearly caused him to pass out. She lifted his chin with a blade; the other hand raised to strike. Summoning every ounce of remaining strength, he lunged at her; his insides screaming. Everything was getting hazy, and Dick thought he heard her laughing at him.__

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“Nightwing!” Luke's voice sounded far away. Smoke pellets exploded around them. Dick used the distraction to land one final hit to his attacker's jaw before Luke snatched him away.

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They landed on a nearby rooftop. Luke began to evaluate Dick's injuries. He cursed loudly. “Oh, _crap _. Oh, crap. Just stay with me, okay?”__

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“Your... bedside manner... needs... work,” Dick gasped, he could feel the warm blood pulsating out of the wound, and pain radiated to every inch of his body. It was getting hard to breath; everything was spinning, and then it went black.

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____________________________He awoke in the Batcave. Bruce, Alfred, and Luke standing over him._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

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____________________________“Welcome back, Master Richard,” said Alfred._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

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____________________________He tried to sit up, but Bruce stopped him. “Take it easy.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

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____________________________“What happened?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

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____________________________“You were ambushed. What do you remember?” asked Bruce._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

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____________________________“We went to the docks, as planned. We found the cargo ship. I boarded, but it seemed empty. No cargo. No crew. I tried to call Luke, but my comms were down. Everything was down; my comms, my cell, my mask. Then I was attacked. I fought my way through, but one got me bad.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

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____________________________“I'm sorry, Dick. I came as soon as I realized something was wrong. None of my equipment was touched. I didn't suspect anything until I tried to radio you and got no response,” said Luke._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

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____________________________“Did you get a good look at any of them?” asked Bruce._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

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____________________________“No. It was too dark. They were dressed in black, but nothing identifiable to any specific group. How long have I been out?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

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____________________________“About twenty-four hours, Master Richard,” answered Alfred._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

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____________________________He tried to sit up again. “I need to talk to Madi. She'll be worried sick.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

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____________________________“Stay down, Dick,” said Bruce, physically restraining him this time. “The wound was deep; you lost a lot of blood. Take it easy, or we'll sedate you again.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

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____________________________Dick closed his eyes. “That bad, huh?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

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____________________________“If Luke hadn't gotten you out when he did...” Bruce's voice trailed off._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

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____________________________“Miss Madilyn has been taken care of,” interjected Alfred. “She is here at the manor, waiting for you. Master Damian is keeping her company.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

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____________________________His eyes flew open. “You left her with _Damian _?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __

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____________________________“Actually, she's quite good with Damian, and he's taken a liking to her,” said Bruce._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

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____________________________“And what about you, Bruce?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

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____________________________“I never disliked her, Dick. I questioned how wise it was to bring her into the fold, but you did, and now she's gets to see this part. The part when the night claims a victory. Now rest up some more. Later, you can join her upstairs.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

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“Are you _sure _you're okay?” Madi asked for what felt like the hundredth time.__

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After another twelve hours, he'd finally been allowed to move to his room in the manor. Madi had been waiting for him, pacing nervously. Although she'd tried to mask it, he could tell she was not prepared for the reality of his injuries. Between his broken ribs and the gash on his abs, his torso was almost completely bound. His arms and shoulders were covered in countless sutures and bruises. 

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“Madi, I'm fine. I'll _be _fine. I've had worse.”__

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“That's not reassuring.” She stood in front of him with her hands on her hips. 

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“I know, but it's the job.” 

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“You look like Frankenstein’s monster.”

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“I thought scars were supposed to be sexy. You can't tell me you're not totally turned on right now,” Dick attempted a joke. "Besides, I've met Frankenstein's monster. I'm way hotter."

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She stomped her foot. “I'm not laughing right now, Dick.” 

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She sounded angry, but he knew she was trying not to cry. He sighed and patted the bed beside him. “Come here.”

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“No.”

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“Come here, Madi,” he said more firmly. She acquiesced and carefully sat down beside him. “I know that must have been scary for you.”

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“I didn't know what to think. Alfred just showed up at my door this morning and said there was a complication last night. He said you were here, and that I should pack a bag and come with him. He said you'd been hurt, but he didn't tell me you were almost killed.”

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“That's because I wasn't.”

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“Dick, don't lie to me. I know what's under those bandages.”

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“I'm not trying to lie to you. I just don't want you to worry more than you need to.”

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“You can't keep me from worrying, Dick.”

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“There will be more nights like this one. You know that, right, Madi?”

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There was a knock on the door, and it opened without waiting for an answer. “Hey, Dick, Bruce said you were in h-.” A young man walked into Dick's room but stopped short when he saw Madi. “Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to interrupt. I'll come back later.”

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Dick held up his hand to stop him. “No, it's okay. You can stay.”

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“I'm sorry to walk in on you. I didn't think you'd be entertaining the ladies so quickly after last night. Bruce told me you got mugged. From the looks of it, you got your butt kicked pretty good.”

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“I got in a few good shots myself,” said Dick. “You should see the other guy.”

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“I'll bet,” the young man said. He turned to Madi. “Don't believe a word this guy says. He may look tough, but he's all talk.”

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She examined the newcomer. He shared the same black hair and blue eyes as Dick and carried himself with a confidence reminiscent of other similarly featured males. “You must be Tim?” asked Madi.

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He walked over and extended his hand. “Guilty. You're Madi, right? This guy’s mentioned me? Or do you know my infamy from the papers?”

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“I'll admit, a little of both. Who told you about me? Did you get your info from the gossip columns too?”

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“Something like that.”

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"Well, I was sad I didn't get to meet you last time I was here.”

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“I split my time between Gotham and New York, and I have a place in the city so I don't always come out here. I was in town when Alfred called and told me what happened.”

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“What do you do in New York?”

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“I work with an independent consulting group, but I still have ties with Wayne Enterprises that need my attention on occasion.”

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“Sounds like you keep busy. Bruce must be proud.”

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“As much as he'll ever show. That reminds me, Bruce asked me to give this to you. He said you lost your old one in the mugging.” He sat a new phone down on the night stand. “I'll be going now. It was nice to meet you, Madi. Maybe I'll see you around.”

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With that, he left the room. Madi arched her eyebrow. “Mugged, hm?” 

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“Secrets are the family business.”

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“I see. So have I met everyone?”

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He hesitated, thinking about whether to tell her about Jason or not. “There's still Cass. Our sister Cassandra in Hong Kong. But I don't know when her next visit will be.”

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“Well, I'll look forward to it," Madi said. "Have you ever noticed that you all actually look similar, despite not being related?”

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“You know, it's funny. Even though none of us are actually family by blood, we act like it. We each have our roles: the responsible one, the rebel, the smart one, the quiet one, and the one who's got something to prove.”

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“And where does Bruce fit into the picture?”

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Dick thought for a moment. “It's hard to say. Sometimes he was more of a mentor than a father figure. If anything Alfred filled that role more than Bruce. With Damian, I can tell he's definitely trying to be a father, as he should. Even if he's not always the best at it.”

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“He certainly has an interesting concept of father and son bonding time.”

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“Don't judge. He's done more good for that boy than you know. And for me, too. He helped make me the man I am today.”

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“The man who nearly got himself killed.”

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_And we're back to that. _“Madi, that's not what happened.”__

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“Then what did happen? Because I think that you're so used to facing death on a regular basis that you've lost touch with your own mortality.”

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“No, I just choose not to dwell on it. I _didn't _die last night; which means I lived to fight another day. And I'll _keep _fighting until the day I can't anymore.”____

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	10. Where I Began

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Baptism by fire. That's the only way she can describe this week in the manor. Zombie brothers? Assassin mothers? Keep Dick Grayson still? What did she get herself into?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I ain't the same anymore   
> You've gone and changed I'm sure  
> You've gone and changed from before  
> I'm trying to find the right words  
> It's the difference between worth  
> A thousand diamond rings   
> Living lives in two places wear my soul too thin  
> I was walking from the station just to meet you in the morning   
> Believe it dawned on me that I don't know where I began  
> "4th & Roebling" - The Districts

“Hi, Alfred. Can I help with anything?” asked Madi as she sat down at the kitchen counter. He was busy preparing lunch for the household.

Alfred took a one look at her and could tell she had a lot on her mind. “Hello, Miss Madilyn. You can slice those tomatoes if you wish.”

She picked up a knife and got to work. It was nice to do something that felt normal, as the past couple days certainly had not been. “I imagine it's not easy for you,” she said.

“What do you mean?” he asked.

“You raised them. They're sons to you. How do you do it? Watch them go out, knowing the danger they put themselves in? How can you put them back together knowing they'll just be ripped apart another night?”

Alfred stopped working and sat down next to her. “When Master Bruce first told me of his plans, I did everything in my power to dissuade him. Then I realized he would go through with it, with or without me. I chose to stay because I’d made a promise that I would look after him as if he were my own. If something were to happen, and I wasn't here, I would blame myself forever. It's the same thing with the boys. I chose to respect their decisions and do what I can to protect them.”

“Does it ever get easier?”

“No, it doesn't. But I will always be here to patch them up.”

“Do you ever think the day will come when they'll stop?”

“In the early years, I'd hoped this would just be one chapter in Master Bruce's life. I have since let go of that dream. As for Master Richard, he’s had the opportunity to walk away on several occasions.”

“And he's always chosen to stay,” she finished with a sigh. 

“And you, Miss Madilyn? How are you fairing?”

“I'm alright. I just wonder if I should be here. There's a reason Bruce never settled down with anyone. If this is the life that Dick wants, is there really a place for me in it?”

“My dear, don't measure your relationship by Master Bruce. He and Richard are two very different people. Always have been. If you are what he wants, I have no doubt there will be a place for you. However, are you regretting your decision to become involved with these matters?”

“Regret? No,” she answered, “but I do think I must be crazy.”

Alfred smiled. “Miss Madilyn, that is a requirement for this family.”

***

She was amazed at how fast Dick recuperated from his injuries. She'd been given instructions to keep him still, but after only a few days he was getting restless. No doubt, had they been home, he would've been already wanting to go out on patrol. 

_He'll be trying to swing from the chandeliers soon _, she thought as she prepared fresh bandages while he showered.__

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Behind her the doors opened. _What is it with this family? There's no privacy. ___

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“So, I heard you got gutted, Goldie. Don't they know disemboweling you is my job?” Madi whirled around to face the intruder. He was a tall; taller than Dick and maybe taller than Bruce. His broad muscular frame would have made him intimidating enough, but he was also carrying at least two large guns. She froze. Surprise registered on his face as he looked her up and down; he obviously wasn't expecting to find her there. “Well, hello nurse.”

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“Don't take another step,” she warned and gripped the scissors, ready to defend herself. _Like I stand a chance against that guy._

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The man held up his hands. “Hey, girlie, I'm not going to hurt you. I'm looking for Dick Grayson. Do you know him? About this tall? Talks too much? Supposedly has a nice backside?”

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_He came here to finish him off. _She slowly reached for her necklace. She pushed on the gemstone. _I guess now I'll find out if this thing actually works. _“You made a big mistake coming here.”____

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His cell phone started beeping at him immediately. He frowned at her suspiciously as he checked the alert. Confused, Jason looked at his phone screen to Madi and then back to his phone. “What is this? Did you trigger an alarm on me?” he accused Madi. “Hey, Dickwing! Get out here and explain yourself!”

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At that moment, Damian charged into the room and tackled Jason. “Damian, get off me!” Jason yelled as he flipped his younger brother over his shoulder and into the wall.

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Then Alfred showed up with a shotgun in the doorway. “Everything under control in here?” he asked.

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The bathroom door flew open in response to the commotion. Dick stood in the doorway wearing only his sweatpants. His hair and torso still dripping. He took in the scene and shook his head. _Only my family. _He picked up his phone and typed a message, no doubt informing the others to stand down. “Yes, Alfred. Everything's fine. It was a false alarm,” Dick said.__

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Madi sat down on the bed, taking in the chaos that had just converged. 

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Alfred lowered the gun. “Very good. Nice to see you, Jason.”

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“You too, Alfred.”

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Damian picked himself up off the floor. “I want a rematch, Todd.”

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Jason smirked at the belligerent teen. “Fine. We'll spar before I leave, and I'll school you again.”

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“Over my dead body!” shouted Damian as he walked out the door leaving Dick, Madi and Jason alone in the room.

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“Yours before mine again,” Jason called out. He turned his attention to the couple. “Now, will someone please explain what is going on here?”

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“She has a panic button in her necklace, Jay,” Dick said. “It places a distress call to all family members. You scared her.”

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Jason leaned casually against the wall. “Who is she? What did I miss? What memo did you fail to send me now?”

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Dick sat down next to Madi. “Her name is Madilyn Wood. She's my girlfriend. Madi, this is Jason Todd.”

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Jason lifted an eyebrow. “And no one thought to mention this tidbit to me? You know, so I wouldn't stop by and possibly, I don't know, expose myself?” 

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“Since when do you worry about overexposure?”

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“When it's to beautiful women, I prefer it to be on my terms,” Jason said and cast a suggestive look at Madi. “So, I take it she knows?”

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“Only about myself, Bruce and Damian.”

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“And now me.”

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“And who are you exactly?” Madi interrupted.

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“I'm the black sheep of the family. Or red sheep, if you will,” he said and held up his helmet.

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_Wait. That's not a helmet. It's a mask. _She looked closer at his clothes. There was a red bat insignia across his chest. _He's the- _____

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“You're the Red Hood.” 

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“Guilty. Do you enjoy the nightlife too?”

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“Do I what?” she asked.

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“No, Jay. She's a civilian,” Dick answered. “Now, why are you here?”

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“Bruce called me in. Apparently, there's some new agency causing trouble and wants me to look into it. Told me about you getting your butt handed to you. Thought I'd check on you before I headed down to the cave.”

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“I didn't know you cared,” Dick said.

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“Nah, I had to see it to believe it,” Jason said. “Bruce wasn't joking. They worked you over good.”

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Dick hadn't put on a shirt yet so his torso was exposed. The ten inch gash across his abdomen was clearly visible, as well as the other sutured lacerations from the skirmish.

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“''Tis but a scratch. I've had worse,” Dick quipped.

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Jason laughed at the reference and stood up. “Glad to see your sense of humor wasn't damaged. Well, I've kept Daddybats waiting long enough, and now I have a fifteen year old to humiliate before I leave. I'll let you get back to playing Doctor.”

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“Dick, please explain,” Madi said once they were alone. She started rebandaging him. “I thought the Red Hood was a bad guy.”

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Dick pinched the bridge of his nose and considered of how to explain this one.

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“Sort of. Jason is part of the family and works with us on occasion. But we have a differing views on how to... problem solve. He goes where we can't because most people think he's our enemy. And it's true, in the past our relationship was antagonistic, but we've since worked out our differences. Mostly.”

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She thought for a moment about all the news stories she had read involving the Red Hood. “Jason Todd...” she mused. “Didn't Bruce adopt a boy named Jason Todd? One that died?”

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Dick grew quiet. _How am I going to explain this? Jason, you're dead again. ___

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“He did.”

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“Is there a connection between the two?”

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“Maybe.”

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“What do you mean, ‘maybe?’ Is there or isn't there?”

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Dick sighed. “What I'm about to say may be hard to understand, but I promise it's the truth.”

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“Okaaay.”

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“Yes. He's the same person.”

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“Did Bruce fake his death or something?”

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“No, um, he died. That happened. He, uh, came back.”

__________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Madi stopped wrapping his ribs. “Say that again.”

__________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“This world is stranger than you can imagine, Madi. There's this thing called a Lazarus Pit. It has regenerating capabilities. Damian’s mother stole Jason's body and threw him in it. It brought him back.”

__________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“It brought him back," she repeated. "I'm not going to think too hard on this, or I'll get a migraine. Now, did you say Damian’s _mother _?”__

____________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“Yes.”

____________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“Why? Why would she do that?”

____________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“Because she wanted Bruce's attention. They don't exactly have a healthy relationship.”

____________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Madi rubbed her temples. “Damian once said he was raised by a League of Assassins? I thought he might be joking.”

____________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“Until he was ten. Bruce had no idea he had a son until then.”

____________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“Is his mother part of this... League?”

____________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“You could say that.”

____________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“So, let me see if I understand this. Jason _did _die, but he was raised from the dead using this ‘pit’ by Bruce's baby mama because she wanted to get back together?”__

______________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“Pretty much.”

______________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“You guys officially win the dysfunctional family award for the _century _.”__

________________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

*** 

________________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“Any developments?” asked Dick through the video feed.

________________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“Tim is still trying to figure out how they hacked your gear,” answered Bruce. “Damian and I are looking into the ship itself. The manifests were forged.”

________________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“I thought of something. The cargo bay was completely empty. Which made me wonder, what if the cargo was people? What if those soldiers were the ‘assets’?”

________________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“We're pursuing that theory. Jason has been looking into rumors of a new human trafficking ring. That's why I brought him in.”

________________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“So, is there anything I can do to help?”

________________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“Yes. Heal.”

________________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“Bruce, I'm going stir crazy.”

________________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“Shall I send Damian up to keep you company?”

________________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“Are you trying to actually drive me insane? There must be something I can do. My brain still works.”

"That's debatable!" he heard Tim's voice offscreen.

“Bruce, you're blowing this way out of proportion. I may be benched from field duty, but why am I sidelined completely?” Dick was trying not to whine. 

A rendering of the design of his Nightwing communications filled his screen. “We needed to see how deeply they infiltrated your system when they hacked you; how badly you were compromised. If they were able to trace your signal to where it originated. We needed to know if anyone else might be compromised as well,” said Tim. “That's why we took your old phone. I had to destroy it; just in case.”

“So, you think I'm a liability now.”

“I think we underestimated them, and you nearly paid with your life,” Bruce replied. “I wanted to ensure no one else pays the same cost.”

“And does it look like they got into our network? Am I burned?”

“We've been watching your apartments, and so far there's been no movement,” Tim said. “And I haven't seen anything unusual on your network. It doesn't look like anyone's tried to access anything.”

“That's the real reason Madi’s here, isn't it?” Dick surmised.

“Yes. If you were truly compromised, she would be a prime target,” said Bruce.

“I've been working on reconfiguring everyone's comms and other tech. Adding fail safes to keep them from being hacked again,” said Tim. “The next time we meet them, we'll be prepared.”

“And when will that be?” asked Dick.

“We need to find the link between the hackers and those soldiers you encountered. They weren't League, and they don’t match the MO of any other group we've dealt with. Why are they working together? What are they protecting? And what is their endgame?” said Tim.

“Right now the other teams have been trying to gather that intel. Jason was called in to work his angles. He has contacts we don't. Meanwhile, we've been tasked with working on securing our tech,” Bruce said.

“So, when can we go home? Madi expects to be back to work on Monday.”

“Unless Tim finds something to the contrary, that should be fine. There is no reason to alarm her at this point. She thinks she’s here to take care of you. I think it's best to let her continue believing that. Consider this a forced vacation. Try to enjoy it.” He disconnected the line.

________________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_He's one to talk. He works with concussions and broken bones all the time. I'd like to see him take a “vacation.” _Dick grunted and threw a pillow at the wall.__

__________________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“Are you okay?” asked Madi as she opened the door, the pillow narrowly missing her. 

__________________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“I'm fine. Just starting to feel a little cagey.”

__________________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

She sat down on the bed next to him. “We need to get you out of this room. If you feel up to hurling innocent pillows, I think you can handle it. How does that sound?”

__________________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“Pillow throwing isn't good therapy?”

__________________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“We need to work our way up to it. I know what might make you feel better, though.”

__________________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

He kissed her forehead. “I'm definitely not cleared for that yet, but thanks for the thought.”

__________________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“No, not that! Come on, you'll feel ten times better, trust me.” She helped him put a shirt on. “Alright, on your feet. Let's go.”

__________________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“And do what?”

__________________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“Is there somewhere to watch a movie?”

__________________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“There's a theater room, actually.”

__________________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“Of course there is. Lead the way.”

__________________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

He guided her through the hallways. When they had almost reached their destination, they ran into Bruce and Tim.

__________________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“What are you doing out of bed?” asked Bruce. “I gave you an order.”

__________________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“And _I _gave him a different one,” said Madi. “I'm the PT, Bruce. I outrank you on this one.” She held his gaze unflinchingly. The two stared each other down in a silent David versus Goliath.__

____________________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Behind Bruce, Tim covered his mouth to hide his smile. It wasn't everyday that Bruce Wayne got put in his place. 

____________________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“Very well,” Bruce said. “And where are you headed?”

____________________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“The movie room,” Dick answered. “So, I'll still be resting.”

____________________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“A movie? What are you going to watch?” asked Damian, appearing out of nowhere.

____________________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“You really must teach me your stealthy secrets, Damian,” Madi said. “I was thinking ‘The Princess Bride.’ Dick mentioned once he'd never seen it. Have you?”

____________________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“No.”

____________________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“Inconceivable!” Madi said.

____________________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“It sounds lame,” Damian said.

____________________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“Well, it's amazing. You're welcome to join us if you're not busy.”

____________________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Dick lead her into the movie room. Damian followed, curiosity getting the better of him. They settled onto the couch and found the movie. As it started to play, Bruce and Tim walked in.

____________________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“Mind if we join you for awhile?” asked Tim.

____________________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

***

____________________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

They had all spent the afternoon together. Dick had looked around the room as they’d all watched the movie and ate popcorn. These fleeting moments of normalcy were rare in their lives. As he watched them laugh and throw popcorn at each other, he could almost forget the looming threats they faced. 

____________________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

As the sun started to go down, the mood slowly changed. Tim stood up first.

____________________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“Well, that was fun, but I do need finish what I came here for. If you'll excuse me.”

____________________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Bruce and Damian left with him. Alone again, Dick and Madi snuggled on the sofa.

____________________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“That was nice,” Dick said. “I can't remember the last time I did that.”

____________________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“What? Watch a movie?”

____________________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“Believe it or not, yes. The little things get pushed aside easily in our line of work.”

____________________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“That may be one of the saddest things I've ever heard. What about when you were a kid?”

____________________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“I grew up in a circus. Always on the road. Sometimes, us kids would get way for an afternoon to do something fun. But between shows and rehearsals and schooling, there wasn't a lot of downtime. And then, I came here, and I became Robin. It was school in the day and patrol at night. After a while, the other stuff just stops being important.”

____________________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“And I thought I had no life. I was so driven because it gave me an outlet. My parents were great, but caring for my brother was a full time job. I didn't want to be one more thing they had to worry about... Sometimes I wonder, if I hadn't been so focused on being the perfect child, if I would've noticed something. Maybe I could've warned them, you know?”

____________________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

He looked at her. “What happened wasn't your fault. He was sick. You can't live your life dwelling on ‘what ifs.’”

____________________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“And you need to remember to have a life once in awhile.”

____________________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> How would you have explained Jason Todd to your significant other? Imagine when it comes up at dinner that Damian has died too. Awkward conversations, part two.


	11. Not Really Sure

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> She fights dirty. That's one of the things Dick learned tonight. He also learned there's a lot of things he doesn't know.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Funny you're the broken one, but I'm the only one who needed saving  
> 'Cause when you never see the light it's hard to know which one of us is caving   
> Not really sure how to feel about it  
> Something in the way you move   
> Makes me feel like I can't live without you   
> It takes me all the way  
> I want you to stay   
> "Stay" - Mikky Echo and Justin Parker

“I can't believe you're letting me do this,” Madi said. “Are you absolutely sure?”

“I trust you,” Dick said. “Besides, it's a little bit your fault.”

"How is this _my _fault? I told you to stop. Besides, I'm not asking you to sew the buttons back onto my blouse."__

____

Some of his sutures on his back had ripped opened, and Madi was standing over him to repair them. In a moment of silliness (and pent up energy), he had pounced on her. After giving her a kiss that made her lightheaded, he had ripped open her shirt and quoted, "There's a shortage of perfect breast in the world." He had then playfully pushed her onto the bed. Her laughing protests and warnings to stop or he'd hurt himself had fallen on deaf ears, leading them to their current situation.

____

“You know how to do this. It's time all those pig’s feet were finally put to good use. Besides, there is _no way _I'm telling Alfred. He'll tan my hide.” Dick insisted.__

______ _ _

She fought back a smile, amused at his fear of Alfred's wrath. “So, what's going to happen when we go back to Bludhaven? Am I going to be able to keep you on restrictions?”

______ _ _

“Probably not," he said mischievously. "But since you brought it up, I wanted to run something by you.”

______ _ _

“What's that?” she asked as she started reclosing the gash on his shoulder blade.

______ _ _

“I think you should stay at my place when we get back.”

______ _ _

She stopped suturing, but she didn't look at him. “Are you asking me to move in with you?”

______ _ _

“Just temporarily.”

______ _ _

“Temporarily? Do you mean like a trial run, or do you have an expiration date in mind? Because I think it's a little too soon for that step, especially with someone who’s not really that sure.”

______ _ _

_Forget Bruce. All his secrets have gotten him nowhere._

______ _ _

__“So, here's the thing. There's a chance, a small chance, that the people we’re after right now may have information about me. Info that could lead back to people I care about.”_ _

______ _ _

__He gave her a moment to let it sink in._ _

______ _ _

__“Okay,” she said and finished suturing. She covered the wound with a fresh bandage and started cleaning up. “Why can't I stay at my own place? Isn't that why I have the upgraded phone and fancy necklace?”_ _

______ _ _

__“You could, but it would be easier if you stay with me.”_ _

______ _ _

__“So, this is more about convenience than wanting to actually live with me?”_ _

______ _ _

__Why do I feel like there's no right answer? _“Like you said, it's too soon to make any long term moves. But, for the time being, it seems like the most practical solution.”__ _

_____ _

____“Long term, as in, you're not sure where we’ll be in, say, six months? We could decide this whole thing doesn't even work, right?”_ _ _ _

_____ _

_This is not going how I thought it would. _“That's not what I'm saying.”__

_____ _

______“But you've thought it?”_ _ _ _ _ _

_____ _

_______Oh, boy. _“Do you want me to lie and say no? Of course, I wonder. You're a _civilian. _There's so many things about my life you haven't even begun to understand yet.”____ _ _ _ _ _ _

_____ _

__________She was quiet for a moment. “You're right. I'm _just _a civilian. There's things I'll probably _never _understand.” She took a deep breath and said, “Maybe we should quit while we're ahead.”_____ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_____ _

________________And I've really screwed this up. _He jumped up ignoring the pain the sudden movement caused. “No, Madi. You're blowing this way out of proportion.”__ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_____ _

________________“Am I? We've established you have a hard time thinking about us in the long term. From the get go, you made it clear how complicated dating someone like me is. Just now, it seems pretty obvious you still view me as an outsider in your world, despite everything we've been through this week. If that doesn't sound like a recipe for a breakup, then what does?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_____ _

________________“Madi-”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_____ _

________________“Dick, I think it would be best if we make a clean break before things turn ugly.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_____ _

________________“Well, I don't agree.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_____ _

________________She ignored him and started packing up her things. “I don't care. I'm going back to Bludhaven, without you. Please don't call me or come to my window again. Let's let this be it.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_____ _

________________Dick started to feel shaky, so he turned around and held onto the chair for stability. “I can't let you do that, Madi. Did you not hear me earlier? There could be-”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_____ _

________________“People out to get me. Yes, I heard you loud and clear. I'll take that chance.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_____ _

________________“I won't. I love you, Madi.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_____ _

________________She sighed. His back was to her, but she could tell he was trembling. She knew he would do anything in his power to stop her, even if it meant hurting himself in process. Her eyes lighted on the medical kit, and a solution came to mind._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_____ _

________________After getting what she needed, she walked over to him. She rested her forehead on his back and wrapped an arm around him. “I love you, too,” she said as her free hand plunged the syringe and its contents into his hip._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_____ _

_________________What the-? _“What did you just do?!”__ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_____ _

__________________“Dick, you need to let me go. It's for the best.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_____ _

__________________“Did you give me a sedative?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_____ _

__________________“I don't want you to get hurt,” she said, “but I also won't let myself get hurt again. I have to think about what's best for me and my future. If it's not going to be with you, then I need to move forward.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_____ _

__________________“Madi, I never said I didn't see a future for us. You've got this all wrong… Just stay, and let's talk about this.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_____ _

__________________She closed her tattered knapsack and crossed back over to him. “I'm doing us a favor. Goodbye, Dick.” She pressed her lips to his._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_____ _

__________________He tried tell her everything he'd meant to say in that kiss. She kissed him until she could feel his body language alter, his movements become slightly clumsy. She pulled away and could see the drug was starting to take affect. He tried to hold onto her, but it was easy for her to break his grip. She walked out the door without another word._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_____ _

__________________He followed her into the hallway. “Madi, stop! Listen to me!”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_____ _

__________________She continued walking, and didn't respond. He started to feel dizzy and dropped to one knee. _I can't believe she drugged me _, he thought as the ground rushed up to meet him.___ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_____ _

____________________***_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_____ _

____________________“Rise and shine, pretty boy.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_____ _

____________________He opened his eyes to see Tim standing over him. He sat up._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_____ _

____________________“What time is it?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_____ _

____________________Tim helped him stand up. “It's almost eight at night. What happened to you? Why were you passed out in the hallway?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_____ _

____________________“We had a fight. And then she shot me up me with a sedative so I wouldn't follow her.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_____ _

____________________Tim laughed. “Are you _serious _? I like her more and more.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __

_____ _

____________________“This isn't funny Tim.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_____ _

____________________“I beg to differ. It's hilarious.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_____ _

____________________Dick noticed Bruce and Damian standing to the side. He grabbed Bruce and slammed him against the wall. “This all your fault, Bruce.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_____ _

____________________Bruce pushed him back. “Watch yourself. You're the one who exposed her to this world. All I've done is try to help you protect her. You think I don't know how hard this is?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_____ _

____________________“How could you? You've never let anyone in, Bruce. Not really.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_____ _

____________________Bruce sighed and took Dick's arm. “Come on.” He lead him back to his room and sat him down in a chair. “Did you reinjure yourself when you fell?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_____ _

____________________Dick shook his head no. Bruce handed him a glass of water which he took a drink of. “She said we had no future, and she left.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_____ _

____________________“What do you think?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_____ _

____________________“I think we do. I love her. But something I said… Everything was fine and then she just…” He took another drink. “What do you care? You were rooting for this to fail from the beginning.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_____ _

____________________“That's not true, Dick.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_____ _

____________________“Please. You want us all to be alone like you.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_____ _

____________________Dick saw a flicker of pain across his face. Bruce looked at the door where Tim and Damian were peeking in._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_____ _

____________________“I almost gave it all up once,” Bruce said._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_____ _

____________________Dick looked up at him in surprise. Tim and Damian both entered the room in shock._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_____ _

____________________“How do I not know about this, Father?” Damian asked as he knelt on the floor next to Bruce._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_____ _

____________________Bruce ruffled his son’s hair, his eyes sad in the memory. “It happened while you weren't with us; before you came back.” He looked back at Dick. “Her name was Natalya. I let her in. I told her everything. I… loved her. For a brief moment, I imagined a life that didn't include Batman.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_____ _

____________________“What happened? What made you change your mind?” asked Tim, who was standing next to Dick now._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_____ _

____________________“She died. The Hatter discovered her connection to me and murdered her because of it.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_____ _

____________________Dick looked down. He hadn't known. He'd been in Chicago during that time. Tim had been with the Teen Titans. Bruce and Jason had been on the outs again. They had thought Damian was gone forever. And Bruce had grieved alone for yet another person._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_____ _

____________________“Bruce, I'm sorry, I-”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_____ _

____________________“I know I've made mistakes with you, with all of you, but everything I've done is always to try to protect you.” Bruce stood up. “Now, the Dick Grayson I know is stubborn and pigheaded. He doesn't give up on the people he loves.” Dick looked up at his former mentor. “I'll have Alfred get the car ready.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_____ _

____________________***_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_____ _

____________________“Madi, it's Dick. Will you please, just call me and let me know you're okay?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_____ _

____________________He hung up the phone. It kept going straight to voicemail. The GPS had shown her at her apartment, but when he had arrived no one answered. He picked the locks to get inside. She wasn't there, but on the counter was her phone and the necklace._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_____ _

____________________Then something else caught his eye; a letter accepting her for a residency. In New York. When had she gotten this?_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_____ _

____________________He needed to find her and get some answers._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_____ _

____________________***_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_____ _

____________________“Tim, can you do me a favor?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_____ _

____________________“What do you need?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_____ _

____________________“Do you think you could see if Madi's used a credit card recently?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_____ _

____________________“Wow. Stalk, much?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_____ _

____________________“No, she's not home, and she dumped her cell and panic button. I have no way to track her. I just want to know she's okay.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_____ _

____________________“Well, I'm sorry, but there's no recent activity so you can probably rule out a hotel. Does she have any friends she'd go to?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_____ _

____________________“That's my next angle. Thanks, Tim.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_____ _

____________________There had been one person he'd remembered her talking about. He'd spoken with her a couple of times when he'd met Madi after work. She was probably his best bet._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_____ _

____________________“Hello?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_____ _

____________________“Hi. This is Dick Grays-”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_____ _

____________________“You've got a lot of nerve calling her.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_____ _

____________________“Mary, she's there?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_____ _

____________________“She doesn't want to talk to you.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_____ _

____________________“That's fine. I just wanted to know she's alright.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_____ _

____________________“Look, I don't know what happened between you two, but she said to tell you to leave her alone.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_____ _

____________________“Mary, I don't-”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_____ _

____________________“Save it. Don't call here again.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_____ _

____________________***_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_____ _

____________________The next morning, he walked into the clinic still exhausted after the previous day's events. He was far from one hundred percent recovered from his injuries, and his body was reminding him of it._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_____ _

____________________He sat down in the reception area. He didn't know what he would say when he saw her; if she would even talk to him. The way Mary had spoken to him, Dick wouldn't be surprised if they called the police on him. But he had to try._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_____ _

____________________After an hour, Madi finally walked past. She saw him, and walked over to the receptionist. They started speaking quietly. _Great, she is going to call the police._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __

_____ _

____________________“Mr. Grayson,” Madi said, “if you'll please come with me.” Her tone was icy._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_____ _

____________________He followed her back into a small room. She locked the door._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_____ _

____________________“Leave me alone, Dick. It's over.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_____ _

____________________“No, it's not, Madi. I love you. I know you love me, too.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_____ _

____________________“Dick, this isn't going to work. Tell me, can you really see a future with me in it?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_____ _

____________________“I want to. You're funny and caring. You see _me _. You always have, right from the very beginning. I want you in my life, but I think the real question is: what do _you _want? Madi, I found the letter.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ ____

_____ _

____________________She turned away from him. “I found out the day you got hurt. I'd applied before I met you. I never expected to get it.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_____ _

____________________“Madi, I'm not going to stand in your way. You deserve this opportunity.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_____ _

____________________“Dick, let's be realistic. We already have the deck stacked against us. You want to add long distance to that? We'd be kidding ourselves.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_____ _

____________________“So, that's it then. Stay or go. Me or New York? Were you looking for an excuse to end it?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_____ _

____________________She faced him again. “No. I was going to decline it until you said that you couldn't think about long term with me. I'm not going to compromise my future for something that's, frankly, doomed to fail. I was already in one relationship where I was always giving in, and, in the end, it went nowhere. I will _not _make that mistake again.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __

_____ _

_____________________Now it all makes sense _. “Madi, when I said that, I didn't mean it wasn't because I don't see you as part of my life. I was strictly talking about living arrangements. I said it would be temporary so there's no pressure on either of us. You could decide that I'm a terrible roommate.” He reached out for her hand. She didn't pull away. “Madi, I'm not going anywhere. I am here, right here, for you. I will be here when it gets hard. I want to be there for the good things and the boring things. I want to laugh with you, and hold you when you cry. Madi, I want a life with you.” He paused. “But if you don't want that, then I want you to be happy. Take the residency.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __

_____ _

____________________Her cold exterior finally broke. It was subtle, but her eyes and posture softened. He closed the distance between them and wrapped his arms around her. She collapsed into them._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_____ _

____________________“I'm sorry, Dick. I'm so sorry.” He held her and kissed the top of her head._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_____ _

____________________“I'm sorry, too. Now, will you take these back?” He held out her phone and necklace. “And, please, no matter how angry you are at me in the future, don't leave them behind again? Promise me.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_____ _

____________________“I promise.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_____ _

____________________***_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_____ _

____________________“She drugged you? Oh my gosh, I can't-. Buddy, you will never live that down.” Wally was laughing so hard he could barely breathe._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_____ _

____________________“I told you. She's pretty incredible.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_____ _

____________________They were in Keystone City with Roy Harper doing more recon. Tim had found mention of a recruiting ground there in a document from the hacker’s hard drive. They were staking out a youth activity center whose financials didn't add up. The three friends were watching it now, waiting to make their move._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_____ _

____________________“Well, you look happy.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_____ _

____________________“I am.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_____ _

____________________“What does Batman think?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_____ _

____________________“He approves. She's actually gone toe to toe with him, too. She doesn't even flinch.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_____ _

____________________“And everyone else?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_____ _

____________________“I think Penny One is relieved one of us finally has something normal. I heard them on the phone the other day swapping recipes. Can you believe that? Red is cool, but his identity is still a secret. Robin actually acts human around her.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_____ _

____________________“Has she met our boy, the Hood, yet?” asked Roy._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_____ _

____________________Dick laughed again. “Briefly; she triggered her panic button on him.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_____ _

____________________Roy snorted in laughter. “So, she's a good judge of character. When do we get to meet her?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_____ _

____________________“Soon. I have to figure out a way to explain you two.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_____ _

____________________“When is the wedding?” Wally asked._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_____ _

____________________“I think it's clear. We can move in now,” Dick said. “Are you tapped into the security camera’s yet, Roy?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_____ _

____________________“Changing the subject. I see how it is.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_____ _

____________________“Lover boy just doesn't want to admit he's already planning it,” Roy replied. “We're good. They'll never know we were here.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_____ _

____________________They had scanned for heat signatures, and the building appeared empty. Wally was to keep guard while Dick and Roy checked the offices for anything suspicious. He found Roy in the manager’s office._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_____ _

____________________“Anything good yet?” Dick asked._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_____ _

____________________“This computer was way too heavily protected for a youth center. However, it was no match for my mad skills. Now, let's see what was so important,” Roy said as he slipped in a pen drive. While it downloaded Dick looked through the file cabinet. Nothing appeared out of the ordinary there. They went to find Wally._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_____ _

____________________“You finished?” Wally asked._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_____ _

____________________“Yeah, let's get out of here,” Dick said._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_____ _

____________________Once they were clear, he could breathe a sigh of relief. He had been nervous about the possibility of encountering his friends from the ship again, but they were nowhere to be seen this time. He'd only recently gotten all his stitches out, and he wasn't eager to need more._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_____ _

____________________“This has been fun; we should do it again sometime,” said Wally. “Do you want to get a bite or something before you head back?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_____ _

____________________“Maybe next time,” Dick said. He walked over to the Batjet._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_____ _

____________________“He's too good for us now that he has a lady,” Wally kidded._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_____ _

____________________“Whatever happened to bros before h-?” Roy started._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_____ _

____________________Dick turned around with a scowl. “Do not finish that sentence. That's my girl you're talking about.” Then he smiled to let them know he was joking. Well, half joking._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_____ _

____________________“Get outta here. Who is this woman that domesticated Nightwing? Go home. You're no fun anymore,” said Roy with a grin. “Come on, Wally. We don't need him.” He grabbed Wally around the neck._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_____ _

____________________“Yeah, go home to your matching towels and folded laundry. I'll bet she even uses one of those perfumy sprays on your sheets,” said Wally as Roy dragged him off._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_____ _

____________________“Later, guys,” Dick said._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_____ _

____________________He flew home. The Batjet made quick work of the trip. It was nice to have access to Bruce's toys again. On the way he sent the files to the cave and Tim so they could start combing through the data. He had the the jet drop him off on his rooftop and then set the autopilot to return to Gotham._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_____ _

____________________He entered his apartment quietly so as not to awaken its sleeping occupants. He carefully slipped into bed with her. By reflex, she snuggled against his body. He put an arm around her, kissed her shoulder, and fell asleep, happy._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_____ _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've been including the songs that were muses to me while writing this. What songs come to your mind while reading it?


	12. Who I Am

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things are settling down again. By a miracle, it seems everyone is in a good place right now. That's exactly when a shadow from Madi's past resurfaces.
> 
> Mostly fluff with a dash of angst before the angst ramps up again. Maybe higher rating warning. Things heat up a little in the kitchen.
> 
> "Turandot" was the last and unfinished opera by Giacomo Puccini. It tells the story of a cold hearted princess who, in order to avenge the murder of her ancestor, forces any potential suitor to answer three riddles. If he answers incorrectly, he is executed. One suitor prevails and the princess goes to murderous lengths to avoid marrying him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You see the smile that's on my mouth  
> It's hiding the words that don't come out  
> And all of my friends who think that I'm blessed  
> They don't know my head is a mess
> 
> And all of these lines across my face  
> Tell you the story of who I am  
> So many stories of where I've been  
> And how I got to where I am  
> "The Story" - Phil Hanseroth

“Dick, wake up.”

“Mmm.”

“Come on. Wake up, please.”

He opened one eye and looked at her. “I'm a nocturnal creature. Let me sleep.”

“Did you forget?”

“Of course not,” he yawned. “Forget what?”

“Everyone's coming over today.”

His eyes popped open, suddenly wide awake. “It's today? What time is it?”

“A little after two. Everyone's coming at three.”

He jumped out of bed. “What do you need me to do?”

“It's all under control. Just get up and get dressed.”

_I can't believe I forgot. _She'd worked so hard to plan everything. Dick would admit he was a little nervous. This was a first. The entire family was coming to his apartment. Just as he finished dressing, there was a knock at the door. Dick rolled his eyes; it was just like his family bypass his security.__

____

“Someone’s early,” he grumbled as he opened the door; expecting Tim but to his surprise stood a different blue eyed raven haired man.

____

“Oh, good. I was worried I came to the wrong place.”

____

“Jason?!”

____

“I know. I'm the last person you expected to see, but I got this message from your girlfriend. She says you're having a family dinner, and do I want to come? I thought it was a joke because this family doesn't do the Norman Rockwell crap.”

____

“No, it’s true. It was her idea,” Dick confirmed.

____

“Hi, Jason,” Madi called from the kitchen.

____

“Thanks for the invite," he said by way of greeting to her. "It was unexpected the say the least.”

____

“I'm glad you decided to come. Do you want a beer?”

____

“Heck, yeah.” Jason said as he made himself comfortable. “So, Madi, how did you two kids meet?”

____

“That depends. Do you want to know how I met Nightwing or Dick?”

____

Jason looked over at Dick, who scowled at him, warning Jason not to make the joke that was on the tip of his tongue.

____

“Oh, I'm sure you met Nightwing the way most girls do. I want the sordid tale of how you met Dick,” Jason answered and then threw an innocent look his way.

____

“We met at Gotham Gen. He knocked me on my rear, literally,” answered Madi.

____

Jason took a swig from his beer. “And you were into that?”

____

“Jason!” Dick reprimanded.

____

He feigned ignorance to his inappropriate question. “What? Doesn't sound like your best move. I'm surprised she went for it.”

____

“Actually, I kinda blew him off.”

____

Jason smacked the counter. “See? _That's _what I'm talking about. Finally, a girl immune to the Grayson charm.” Jason took another drink from his beer and turned to Madi. “You don't disappoint.”__

______ _ _

There was another knock on the door.

______ _ _

“I need a beer,” said Dick.

______ _ _

“I'll get it,” said Jason and answered the door before anyone could stop him. It was Tim, holding a bottle of wine. “Good, we're going to need that. Come on in. I think you're just in time to see Dick have a nervous breakdown. Should be fun.”

______ _ _

“Jay! What are you doing here?” asked Tim.

______ _ _

“The invite said ‘family dinner.’ I am family,” he commented drily.

______ _ _

“What are you drinking, Tim?” Madi asked.

______ _ _

“Water is fine.”

______ _ _

“Are you sure?”

______ _ _

“Oh, no. Madi, Tim here is practically a teetotaler. Isn't that right, Tim?” Jason said.

______ _ _

“Really?" Madi asked. "You brought wine.”

______ _ _

“No, Jason’s exaggerating. I'm just tired. If I have a drink, I'll go right to sleep.”

______ _ _

“Do you want some coffee? Dick told me to have some ready. I'm guessing it was for you,” Madi said.

______ _ _

Tim smiled. “That'd be great.”

______ _ _

There was a knock at the door again.

______ _ _

“Oh, god,” said Dick.

______ _ _

“I think you're right, Jay. He's going to lose it,” Tim commented.

______ _ _

Jason clinked his beer against Tim’s mug. “Best seats in the house.”

______ _ _

Madi held Dick’s face in her hands and kissed his nose. “Everything will be fine.”

______ _ _

“Aww, so cute,” said Jason and Tim in unison.

______ _ _

“Shut up, both of you,” Dick retorted as he opened the door. Bruce, Damian, and Alfred were waiting in the landing. “Hi, come in. Everyone else is here.”

______ _ _

Phineas decided to join the party at that moment and jumped up on the sofa behind Jason.

______ _ _

“What the h-!” exclaimed Jason as he leapt up and drew a gun from somewhere.

______ _ _

“Don't kill the cat, Todd,” said Damian as he picked up Phineas.

______ _ _

“Since when do you have a cat?!” asked Jason pointing his gun accusingly at the feline.

______ _ _

“He's mine,” said Madi. “Sorry, if he scared you. I forget some people have a thing about cats.”

______ _ _

“I don't have have a thing," Jason replied defensively as he holstered his gun. "He just... surprised me.” 

______ _ _

“Aw, Todd's scared of a little kitty cat,” taunted Damian.

______ _ _

“Shut up, Demon Spawn,” Jason growled.

______ _ _

Madi watched as the three younger boys started to banter between themselves. “Are you certain you're up for an afternoon with these rowdy boys?” asked Alfred. “I tried to raise them better, but I'm afraid it didn't take.”

______ _ _

“Boys will be boys,” said Madi. “I'm so glad you all came.”

______ _ _

“It's not often we get a chance to be all together,” said Bruce.

______ _ _

The afternoon passed without incident. The brothers teased each other, Alfred tried to reprimand them, and they all chided Bruce for being too serious. After they ate, Madi suggested a couple rounds of the card game B.S. A purposefully ironic choice for a family whose life revolved around secrets. To everyone's glee, Damian lost quickly, and Alfred was the dark horse.

______ _ _

To Dick’s surprise, Jason was the last to leave. He spoke to Dick quietly by the door. “You look like you're in a good place again.”

______ _ _

“Never better,” said Dick.

______ _ _

“Well, don't screw it up,” said Jason.

______ _ _

“Jay, you _almost _sound sentimental.”__

____

______ _ _

____

“If you tell anyone, I'll kill you.” He raised his voice, “Thanks again, Madi. Maybe next time we can play strip poker,” Jason called and walked out the door.

____

______ _ _

____

“Did you survive?” Madi asked him, now that the apartment was empty again.

____

______ _ _

____

“I did. I may even admit to having a good time.”

____

______ _ _

____

“Good. That means I don't feel bad asking you to help me clean up. I'll wash; you dry?” They made quick work of it. “When do you go on patrol tonight?”

____

______ _ _

____

“Not for a couple hours.” He dried the last dish and put it away. He watched her as she cleaned the countertop, humming to herself, and a tempting thought entered his mind. It proved too tempting not to act on. He twisted the towel and snapped her with it.

____

______ _ _

____

“Youch!” she shrieked. “Oh, that is war!” She grabbed another towel and snapped it at him. He nimbly dodged it. “That's not fair. Come back here!”

____

______ _ _

____

“No way!” Dick ran to the living area, and she gave pursuit. He let her almost catch him before him leapt over the sofa.

____

______ _ _

____

“Cheater! You better keep one eye open tonight!”

____

______ _ _

____

She chased him back into the kitchen where he let himself be cornered. He waived his towel like a white flag. “Okay, I'll surrender. I'll take my punishment.”

____

______ _ _

____

With her guard down for a split second, he rushed her and pressed her up against the cabinets. He crushed his mouth to hers. The movement had been so swift that she'd squeaked in surprise, the sound muffled against his lips. Her hands went to the back of his neck and intertwined with his hair. 

____

______ _ _

____

Dick lifted her up onto the counter and kissed her neck, going for the spot he knew would make her breath catch. "Now, you're really cheating," she whispered in his ear.

____

______ _ _

____

“I'll make it up to you,” he said as he worked his way down her neck to her collarbone. Tentatively, he slid his hands underneath her skirt and ran them up her bare legs to her hips. She didn't flinch, so he pulled her closer to him. She responded by wrapping her legs around his torso. 

____

______ _ _

____

He broke away from her kiss to read her face. It had been about four weeks since he'd been hurt, and about that long since their last (and first time) together. Given the unexpected turn it had taken, he'd been in no rush to try again. She met his gaze, knowing what he was thinking. She gave the subtlest of nods and then returned her lips to his.

____

____***_ _ _ _

____

“Am I forgiven?” he asked as he cuddled her in the crook of his arm.

____

______ _ _

____

“Mmhmm,” she said.

____

______ _ _

____

Dick laughed and placed a kiss into her hair, noting the ever present scent of fresh lavender. Unlike last time, they were both feeling content and relaxed.

"Do you know how beautiful you are?" he asked as he stroked her cheek with his thumb. Madi tucked her head down, biting her lip. He smiled at her nervous tell. She was still bashful with him, even now. It made him love her even more.

He held her for as long as he could before it was time to leave. Dick eased himself away and gently got out of bed; trying not to disturb her too much. She was starting to fall asleep, but for him the night was just beginning. He put on his Nightwing uniform and looked back at her before he left to see if she was still asleep. She'd been watching his reverse striptease and had a mischievous smile, like a kid caught with her hand in the cookie jar. He sat down on the bed next to her. “You have to admit, I make the tights look good.”

____

______ _ _

____

“Dear, lord.” Madi buried her face in a pillow to muffle her laughter. “But, in all seriousness, I don't know if I'll see you before you get back. I have to leave early tomorrow to go to Gotham Gen. I probably won't be back until after you leave for patrol tomorrow night. So, this is goodbye not goodnight.”

____

______ _ _

____

“Okay. You know, if you want, I could meet you in Gotham. We could go to dinner and come back together. What do you think?”

____

______ _ _

____

“I think if you're not too tired, that would be fabulous.”

____

______ _ _

____

“It's a date then. And so, goodnight,” he said and kissed her. “Sweet dreams.”

____

____***_ _ _ _

____

“Have you found anything in those files?”

____

______ _ _

____

He was in the Batcave talking to Tim.

____

______ _ _

____

“At first pass, everything seemed normal. But, something just didn't seem right to me. There were way too many megabytes of data for these files. So, I took another look. Tell me if you see it,” said Tim. He pulled up the photographs that had been on the hard drive.

____

______ _ _

____

“The pics require too much memory for just a normal photo.”

____

______ _ _

____

“Exactly. If I just do _this _,” he typed on the keyboard, “I get this.” The photographs transformed into pages of written data.__

____

________ _ _ _ _

____

“You're a genius Tim.”

____

________ _ _ _ _

____

“I know.”

____

________ _ _ _ _

____

“But this still doesn't make any sense. It's a jumble of languages, and, even translated, it's nonsense.”

____

________ _ _ _ _

____

“Its encoded, obviously. We still need the cipher.”

____

________ _ _ _ _

____

“I'll leave that to greater minds than mine. Have you informed the others?”

____

________ _ _ _ _

____

“They're already working on it too," Tim told him. "Where are you running off to? Hot date?”

____

________ _ _ _ _

____

“As a matter of fact, yes.”

____

________ _ _ _ _

____

“Good, I was a little worried about that dress you have there. I was wondering if you were working on a new nighttime look.”

____

________ _ _ _ _

____

“Funny. It's Madi’s," Dick replied. "How are things with you and Stephanie, by the way?”

____

________ _ _ _ _

____

“Good. Maybe one of these days, we'll double date. Who'd of thought?”

____

________ _ _ _ _

____

“There might be hope for us yet. I'll see later.”

____

________ _ _ _ _

____

He decided to leave his bike at the manor and ask Alfred to drop him off at Gotham General. She had sent him a text to meet her in the cafeteria.

____

________ _ _ _ _

____

“Hi, been here long?” she asked when she found him.

____

________ _ _ _ _

____

“Couple of minutes. How was your day?”

____

________ _ _ _ _

____

“Good. Long. Yours?”

____

________ _ _ _ _

____

“Productive." He handed her the dress. “Now, go put this on. I have a surprise for you.” She gave him a quizzical look. “Go, hurry.”

____

______***_ _ _ _ _ _

____

“How on earth did you get a last minute reservation here?” Madi asked.

____

________ _ _ _ _

____

“Connections are everything. What good is it being in the Wayne clan if I can't use it to pull a string or two? Come on, we deserve a romantic night out.”

____

He’d managed to get the a table at the trendiest restaurant in Gotham at the moment. The waiting list for a reservation there was a mile long. The evening had been perfect. Until they were leaving.

____

“Madilyn, is that you?”

____

The voice made her blood freeze. Dick noticed immediately that her radiant complexion had blanched, and her grip on his hand tightened.

____

“Hello, Philip.”

____

“All the gin joints in all the world, eh?” Philip Cole said. “Small world.”

____

“Isn't it? So you live in Gotham now?”

____

“Just moved here. And you?”

____

“I'm just here for dinner.” She remembered Dick by her side. “Dick, this is Philip.”

____

Dick remembered the engagement announcement he'd come across. _No wonder she looks like she saw a ghost. _He shook the other man's hand. “Hi, I'm Dick Grayson.”__

______ _ _

“Yes, I know who you are. Philip Cole. This is my wife, Samantha.” He introduced the woman beside him. The obviously pregnant woman beside him. He turned his attention back to Madi. “How have you been?”

______ _ _

“I'm good. And you look like you have everything you wanted. Congratulations, Samantha,” Madi said. “When are you due?”

______ _ _

“In a couple weeks,” she said. Dick noticed that she wouldn't look Madi in the eye. “Hon, we need to go. The sitter will start charging us overtime.”

______ _ _

“The sitter?” Madi asked, her voice broke slightly.

______ _ _

“Yes,” Philip said and rubbed her round stomach, “this is our second. We have a one year old at home. Goodnight. It was good to see you, Madilyn."

______ _ _

The couple walked out to the where the valet had their car waiting. Dick noticed Samantha look back at Madi as she got into their car. Her expression was one of guilt. Madi’s feet were rooted to the ground. She could hear the blood rushing in her ears and felt like she couldn't get enough air.

______ _ _

“Madi, are you okay?” Dick asked. He could feel her shaking next to him.

______ _ _

She shook her head. “Can we go, please? I just want to go home.”

______ _ _

She was quiet for most of the ride home; staring out the window at the stars. When they were almost home, she finally spoke.

______ _ _

“You know who that was, don't you?”

______ _ _

“He was your fiancé.”

______ _ _

“And she was my best friend.” She covered her face and shrieked. “Oh, my god! Can it be more cliche?”

______ _ _

“It's okay to still be upset, Madi.”

______ _ _

“We were having a perfect evening, and then that _bastard _shows up! Why couldn't he have just left me alone?”__

________ _ _ _ _

He let her vent. By the time he'd parked the car, she was silent again, staring back out the window. He took her hand. “We're home. Let's go up. I'll make you a cup of tea. Or we can take it out on the punching bag. Pretend you're punching his arrogant face. Whatever you need, Madi.”

________ _ _ _ _

“Do you want kids?”

________ _ _ _ _

Her question seemed apropos of nothing and left him flustered. “What? Maybe. I don't know. I guess someday. I haven't really had a thought about it. My life is too crazy. Why?”

________ _ _ _ _

_That’s not entirely true. _When he was younger, he'd imagined himself married with a family by this age, but life had other plans. When he'd left Gotham to pave his own pathway without Batman, he and Barbara had drifted apart. It was never the same, no matter what they'd tried over the years. It hadn't helped there’d been a rumor about an affair between Batgirl and Batman while he'd been gone, although neither of them would ever discuss it. His relationship with Kori had imploded. Now, he couldn't imagine exposing children to his lifestyle. Helping with Damian had completely changed his perspective. To him, kids meant retiring, and he wasn't near ready for that yet. But that was a discussion for another day.__

__________ _ _ _ _ _ _

“I'm not trying to get ahead of ourselves,” Madi continued. “I know that we've only been together a few months. It just feels like our relationship has been on fast forward, you know? We went from zero to one hundred in the blink of an eye.”

__________ _ _ _ _ _ _

“So, what's really bothering you now? I know that seeing them must have reopened some old wounds, but I feel like there's something else.”

__________ _ _ _ _ _ _

“ _He _called off the wedding. He said he wanted a family, and, after what had happened with mine, he _couldn't _with have one with me. He didn't want to take the risk that our children would be monsters too. Two months later, he married my best friend. And now, they're expecting their _second _child in barely three years. He wasn't lying to me. But even after _everything _I did, I wasn't good enough for him.”________

_____________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“He's an idiot.”

_____________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“Is he, though? I want to believe that, Dick, but look what my brother did. He-...he kil-” Her voice broke off and she bit her hand in an effort to not cry.

_____________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Dick pulled her into his chest and held her tightly. “He was sick, Madi. He wasn't evil. I _know _evil.”__

_____________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__“It all starts somewhere. What if my child is the next super villain? Would you really want to take that chance?”_ _

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“Madi, _nobody _knows what their children will become; how they will use their potential. If half the bad guys I fight would use their genius for something good, this world would be a much better place. Instead, they seek to destroy it. What sense does that make?” He stroked her cheek. “I think that Philip guy was a loser. I also think that his loss is my gain.”__

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“Here you go.” He handed her a cup of tea. “Feeling any better?”

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He sat down next to her, and she leaned against him.

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“I am, thanks. It's getting late. Don't you need to go on patrol?”

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“I'm not going anywhere. _You _need me tonight.”__

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“What did I do to deserve you?” she asked and snuggled into his arms.

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They sat in silence while she sipped her tea, and Dick contemplated whether or not to ask his next question. “How come you never talk about them? Your family?”

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She shrugged. “I don't know. Probably because I haven't had anyone to talk about them _to _until recently. What do you want to know?”__

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“Anything.”

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“I learned to sing from my mom and dad. They were opera singers.”

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“No kidding?”

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“That's how they met. They were doing 'Turandot,' and fell in love for real. When my mom became pregnant with me, she retired and my dad started teaching at Yale. Our house was always full of song and music. That's why I always have something playing. It reminds me of home.”

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“How did gymnastics enter the picture?”

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“I liked to sing, but it wasn't my passion. I preferred expression through movement over voice. I took a tumbling class when I was little, and I loved the thrill; feeling connected with every fiber of my body.”

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“I totally get it. There's a feeling on the trapeze when you're airborne. It's indescribable.”

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“I can imagine. Do you miss it?”

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“I miss the simplicity of that life. My biggest worry was putting on a good show. Now, I worry about sociopaths and assassins.”

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“But you still put on a good show,” she smiled.

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“Once a performer, always a performer.”

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“What were _your _parents like?”__

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“They were great. They taught me to fly, literally and figuratively. Dad was very demanding, but that was because what we did was dangerous, and he wanted to make sure no one got hurt. I remember practicing passes for hours. Mom was his anchor. She balanced him. Together, they made me feel like I could accomplish anything... I miss them everyday... So, opera singers? What was that like?”

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“Interesting. Mom was always a bit of a diva, even after she'd been retired for years. Dad still sang since he taught at the university and performed occasionally. They were both very disciplined; ‘your body's a temple; must keep the instrument finely tuned’ sort of thing.”

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“It seems like the apple hasn't fallen far from the tree in that sense.”

_______________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“Old habits die hard. But they were loving parents. When my brother got sick, they showed the same level of dedication to his care. They were devoted to him... So your parents taught you to fly and mine taught me discipline and structure.”

_______________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“You give me a place to land,” Dick told her.

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“And you remind me that anything is possible.”

_______________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_______ _ _ _

________ _ _ _ _

_______ _ _ _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My version of Jason Todd is a bit different than I read him in most stories. He's calmer and less angry. My reason for this is the older age. He's had time to reflect and gain perspective with everything he's done and seen since coming back. He does still have a temper, that will be seen later on. 
> 
> As far as him hitting on Madi, that's done to get under Dick's skin. Jason knows that Dick knows that Jason had a liason with his ex Kori. It's a sly, "If you're not careful, this one could be mine too." With their history of Golden Boy vs Rebel Son, Jason will never miss an opportunity to ruffle his feathers a little.
> 
> On a side note, I've loved what the RHATO series has done for his character. What about you?


	13. Head Is Aching

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Stomach viruses. Friends with existential crises. Painfully slow progress on their case. Nothing else can go wrong, right?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you were falling, then I would catch you  
> You need a light, I'd find a match   
> 'Cause I love the way you say good morning   
> And you take me the way I am   
> If you are chilly, here take my sweater  
> Your head is aching, I'll make it better   
> 'Cause I love the way you call me baby   
> And you take me the way I am   
> "The Way I Am" - Ingrid Michaelson

“How's it going over here?” Wally asked.

The two friends were sitting on top of a building in Bludhaven. Wally had come over to catch up.

“Red’s about to bang his head against a wall. Even his brilliant mind is having problems. Whoever’s behind this is good. He thought he'd figured out the cipher, but when he applied it the data just reconfigured into a new code. Anything useful on your end?”

“I've been watching the club, but more nothing. I talked to Arse yesterday; he's put out feelers with some of his shadier contacts from before. He heard an interesting rumor. Someone is apparently bragging about a way to ‘hero-proof’ your business.”

“Wonderful. Exactly what we need right now," Dick grunted. "Hood is working his informants. Chasing rumors of a trafficking ring to see if they're connected.”

Wally shook his head. “On a lighter note, how are things in paradise?”

“Are we going to talk about my love life _every _time now? Are we in high school?”__

____

“Don't be like that, Wing. You know I live vicariously through you. Can't one guy be happy for another? Even though you're acting like you're ashamed of me.”

____

“I told you, she's sick right now. Some kind of stomach bug.”

____

“Are you sure it's just a bug? It could be a parasite," Wally kidded. "You know, the kind that last about nine months?”

____

“She's not pregnant, Flash,” Dick said annoyed. 

____

“Are you sure?" Wally continued, enjoying torturing his friend. "You forget to suit up one time, and you could end up with a little Robin of your very own.”

____

Dick threw his hands up in exasperation.“Flash, I'm sure. I think I know what I'm doing. Unless Kori has a kid squirreled away somewhere, my track record is pretty good.”

____

“Do you ever think about it though? The whole family thing," Wally suddenly turned serious. "How does it even work for guys like us?”

____

“I don't know anymore. There's people that make it work, I guess. Batman has a kid.” Wally shot him a look. “Okay, maybe not the best example. Why? Is your biological clock ticking?” Dick said sarcastically.

____

“It just hit me that we're not kids anymore, you know? We're in our thirties now.”

____

“And we've done some awesome stuff. How many times have we saved the world?”

____

“True that,” Wally agreed, and they fist bumped. “But, would you give this up for her?”

____

“She hasn't asked me to.”

____

“But would you?”

____

He didn't have an answer. “You're too deep for a Friday night. When you said you wanted to hang out, I didn't know you meant delve into our inner psyches and girl talk. Come on, let's go have some fun.”

__***_ _

When Dick came home late that night, he could see a sliver of light under the bathroom door and found Madi laying on the tile floor. He instantly felt guilty for spending the night out with his friend, even if they were working while they did it.

____

“Oh, Madi. You poor thing.” He sat down, put her head in his lap, and rubbed her back.

____

“No, go away,” she mumbled. “You'll catch it.”

____

“Then I catch it. Why are you on the floor? You didn't fall did you?”

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“No. It's cool. It felt good.”

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“Can I get you anything?”

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“No, just-” She lunged for the toilet and started retching again. He held her hair back. When she finished, he dampened a washcloth with cool water and wiped her brow. “I'm serious. You need to leave. I'm a biohazard.”

____

“Nonsense. In sickness and in health, right?”

__***_ _

“How's Dick?” Mary asked.

____

“Still sick,” Madi answered.

____

“Is he driving you crazy, yet? Men are always such babies.”

____

“He's a trooper. Besides, it's my fault he's sick.”

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“You two seem to have worked out whatever that fight was about. You're living together now?” Mary asked, her tone slightly skeptical.

____

“He's actually doing me a favor. There's some issues at my place. It's only temporary.”

____

“Mmhm. Whatever. It's your business, Madi. All I know is, you disappeared for a week. Then you showed up at my door in tears saying it's over, and the next day he talks you into taking him back.”

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“Well, it sounds bad when you put it like that, Mary.”

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“Doesn't it?”

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_Here goes testing our cover story. _“Okay... I was gone because... Dick was hurt... in a mugging.”__

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Mary gasped. “You didn't say anything. Was it bad?”

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Madi looked down. “Yeah, it was pretty bad. The family wanted to keep it quiet. They didn't want it to be tabloid fodder. I was in Gotham with him while he recuperated. But right before we came back, we got into a big fight over commitment issues.”

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Mary gave an exasperated sigh. “Men.”

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“Not his. Mine actually.”

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“Really? So, the playboy’s son isn't a serial dater?”

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“Nope. He's nothing like Bruce.”

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“So, what _is _he like? Are you ever going to let us actually meet him? More than just ‘hello’ when he picks you up after work?”__

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Madi sighed. “What do you want to know? You get three questions.”

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“Is there anything going on in that head of his? Or is he just a pretty face?”

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“He's very smart. He speaks over half a dozen languages.”

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“What is the family like? Is the house as enormous as they say?”

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“Bruce is nice. His brothers are interesting. Alfred is awesome. Yes, the house is immense. I've gotten lost. You've got one question left.”

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“So, I've heard he's quite limber.”

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Madi rolled her eyes. “If this is going where I think it is, you can forget it.”

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“Ah, come on, Madi.”

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“No.”

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“Then tell me something that no one would expect is true.”

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She thought for a minute. “He has an unhealthy addiction to cereal. Satisfied?”

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“Healthy or kid stuff?”

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“The more marshmallows the better. And now I've got to get home and see how he's faring.”

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Madi left the clinic and stopped by the market on her way home. She wanted to get a few things to make some soup for him. He'd barely been able to keep anything down the last couple of days. _Poor thing. _She'd warned him, but he'd insisted on staying with her. Even sleeping in the bathroom with her that night. And now he had the vile stomach bug.__

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“The contents of that basket are so prosaic. No whip cream? No chocolate sauce?” came a familiar voice beside her.

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“Jason!” Madi said with a smile.

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“I hear Dick is under the weather. Pity.”

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She narrowed her eyes. “How-?”

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He handed her a box of cereal. “Here, this is his favorite. You should get it. He’ll love it. Bye, Madi.” He said nothing more and walked off.

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_That was strange. _She purchased her items and went home. Dick was on the couch flipping channels.__

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“Feeling any better?” she asked.

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“Some. Only threw up twice. An improvement over yesterday.”

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She kissed his forehead. “Even superheroes get sick, huh?”

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“Apparently.”

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“So, I ran into Jason at the store-”

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He jumped up. “You did what?”

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“I saw Jason. He was at the market.”

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“Why was he there? He talked to you? What did he say?” He fired off questions.

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“Dick, calm down. What's the big deal?”

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Dick sat back down, dizzy from standing up too fast in his sickened state. “Jason doesn't just show up places. He was there on purpose. What did he say to you?”

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“He made a quip about not having anything kinky in my basket-”

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“Typical.”

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“Then he said he heard you were sick, and said I should buy this for you.” She handed him the cereal.

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He ripped open the box. In it, was a pen drive and a handwritten note that said, “Get well soon, loser.”

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“Can you hand me my laptop?” asked Dick. She got it for him, and he inserted the drive. “Jackpot!”

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His phone rang. “Did you like your present?”

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“Jason, you evil genius!”

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“Stop, you're making me blush.”

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“Why give this to me and not directly to Bruce or Tim?”

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“And miss out on the chance to flirt with your girlfriend? Never. Besides, I thought you could use some cheering up. I'll see you around.”

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Jason had given him the cipher. How Jason got it, he probably didn't want to know. But now they could finally start getting somewhere on the data from the club.

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“Tim, I'm sending you a file.”

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It worked. The files were communications with another party discussing prospects for recruitment. As suspected, the youth center had been a screening ground. They also referred to Site B. Roy theorized it was in Star City due to a false alerts that he too had gotten on occasion over his scanner and began searching for a suspect.

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They also found what looked like profiles of the individuals from the ship. It described them in impersonal terms, assigning them numbers for identification. To whoever was in charge, they were little more than a list of physical traits and special skill sets. An “asset.” To be to treated like a commodity.

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“I think it's safe to say we're not dealing with your average human trafficking ring here,” said Roy over the telecom, he was twirling an arrow in his fingers.

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“No, it doesn't look like it,” agreed Tim.

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“But why? What is the market for something like this?” asked Wally, his confusion clear through the computer screen.

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“Someone who wants their own private army of super soldiers. Or a bodyguard slash slave slash eye candy,” replied Roy.

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“The point is they are either abducting or coercing vulnerable youths for this. Then sending them who knows where to be trained in unknown conditions for likely illegal purposes,” said Dick. “We need to stop it.”

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“Agreed, but we still have no clue who is actually behind this Conglomerate entity. If we shut down the youth center, they'll just reestablish the operation somewhere else. We have to shut this down at the top,” said Tim. Dick could feel his frustration oozing through the video feed.

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“Meanwhile, I have to let this keep going on in my city so we don't lose this string? Do you know how sick that makes me?” asked Wally, struggling to keep the anger out of his voice as well.

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“It makes us _all _sick,” answered Dick.__

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“At least you can keep an eye on them. I'm still trying to find this Site B,” complained Roy. “What about that ship? Any leads?”

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_________“Batman won't let anyone go back. We’re watching the port where it docked, but it's been quiet. The ship’s paperwork was clean; completely in order. Except that it belongs to a company that only exists on paper. All in all, another dead end,” said Tim._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

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Madi walked up the stairs to Dick's apartment rehearsing the words in her head. _Everything will be fine. ___

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Punk rock music was echoing into the stairwell. When she opened the door, the music was blaring, and Dick was wailing on a punching dummy. She watched him with curiosity. Other than his impromptu sparring match with Damian that day, she'd never actually seen him fight. There was an elegance to his movements that was mesmerizing. Her eyes widened as he grabbed his eskrima sticks and began brutally beating the dummy with them. It was a strange thing to see this other side of him. She knew it existed, of course, but it was hard to imagine when he was always so gentle with her. After about twenty minutes, he finally noticed her watching and turned off the music.

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“Bad day at the office?” she asked and tossed him a towel.

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He sat down to drink some water and untape his wrists. “No, I was just thinking.”

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She raised an eyebrow. “ _That _was you ‘just thinking’?”__

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“Yeah. It's nothing. Normally, I do this part of my workout while you're still gone. I lost track of time.”

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She wasn't buying it. “Are you _sure _nothing is wrong?”__

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He sighed. “I'll be fine. It'll be fine.” He stood up. “I'm going to shower.”

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She knew that sigh. It was his, “I have the weight of the world on my shoulders,” sigh. She knew better by now than to push too hard about it. He would talk to her when he was ready. _This can wait for another day. _She started dinner while he got cleaned up. When he came back, he still didn't say anything, just started helping. They ate in silence, and washed dishes in silence.__

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Later on, she stretched on a mat on the floor. He came and sat beside her. He took her hands to offer resistance. He finally spoke.

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“We're getting nowhere.”

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“What do you mean?”

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“I mean, we've been dealing with these guys since you and I met, and we're no closer to ending it than when it started.”

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“You'll get there.”

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“I feel like a lab rat. Like someone’s put me in a maze and is just watching me run around.”

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“Doesn't the rat usually find its way out and get some cheese?”

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He smiled at her attempt to joke. “And sometimes it gets shocked when it goes the wrong way.” He rubbed his stomach where his wound was. It was sore tonight.

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“I wish you would take it easier,” she said, noticing his discomfort.

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“I might've overdone it in the workout, that's all.”

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She furrowed her brow in concern knowing the complications he was risking. “Come here. Let me see. Lift up your shirt.”

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“If you wanted me to take my shirt off, you just have to ask,” Dick said, pulling his t-shirt up over his head. He grinned at her. “Now you.”

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Madi gave him a Look and ushered him up to his knees. She felt the area surrounding the long red scar that was right above his navel. “You've been pushing yourself way harder than is medically recommended. Just because you're healed on the outside, doesn't mean you're healed on the inside.”

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“Don't you think you're being a little dramatic?” he asked as he sat back down once she was satisfied he hadn't done any real damage.

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“I have one word for you: eviscerated,” she drew out each syllable for emphasis.

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Dick winced. “I've been _mostly _good. I haven't been swinging around or climbing during patrol. Much. I only went on that one easy peasy recon mission. You know how hard that's been for me.”__

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“I know, Dick. It's just that... I need you to take care of yourself.”

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“Madi, I've been at this a long time. I know my limits. Besides, Alfred nags about that enough as it is. Don't you start too,” he said, obviously irritated.

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Madi sighed. “I'm not trying to nag. I just-”

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Dick stood up. “Good, because I really don't need that right now.” He walked off toward the bedroom and shut the door.

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Dick awoke to the sound an alarm going off on his phone. _No. _He checked it with a sinking feeling, knowing what it was without having to look. His security system had been tripped. One look at the camera footage before it cut off told him all he needed to know.__

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He gently but urgently woke Madi up.

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“Dick, what-?” He put a finger to her lips to silence her, then took her hand and motioned for her to follow him. He grabbed her phone as he lead her into the closet. In the very back, he pushed on a hidden panel. It opened to reveal a keypad in which he quickly typed a code. To Madi’s shock, the back wall opened up to reveal a small room. “You're scaring me,” she whispered.

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“Get in here, Madi. Take your phone. Do not open this door until I tell you it's safe.” He gently pushed her in. “ _Promise me _, you won't open this door.”__

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__Her heart was pounding. “I promise.”_ _

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He kissed her. “I love you. Hit your panic button.” He entered the code and the door closed sealing her in.

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He ran back to his room and grabbed another set of eskrima sticks. He wished had time to put armor on, but he'd used it getting Madi to safety. Dick knew they were already inside his apartment. He could only hope backup would arrive quickly.

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	14. Hurt You Now

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's a nightmare. But it's real.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I remember tears streaming down your face when I said I'll never let you go   
> When all those shadows almost killed your light   
> I remember you said don't leave me here alone   
> But all that's gone and dead and passed tonight   
> Just close your eyes, the sun is going down   
> You'll be alright, no one can hurt you now   
> Come morning light, you and I'll be safe and sound   
> "Safe & Sound" - Taylor Swift and the Civil Wars

_“I love you. Hit your panic button.” ___

____

Those were his last words to her as the door shut, locking her into a small eight by eight room. It held a cot and a chair next to a bank of monitors. He'd never told her this was here. Her fingers fumbled for her necklace to press the stone, and she collapsed into the chair.

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_“I love you.” _The tone in his voice had scared her to death; there had been fear in his eyes.__

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The sound of her phone ringing made her jump; her shaking fingers could barely answer it.

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“Madi, report,” Bruce's harsh voice came over the speaker. Realizing he was speaking to a frightened woman and not a trained operative, he softened his growl, "What's going on? Are you alright?"

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“Bruce! I don't know what's happening! He put me in this room and told me not to come out. You have to get here now!”

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“Madi, stay calm. We're on our way. Everything will be fine. _Stay where you are. _”__

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***

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Dick cursed; his options were limited. His movements were still restricted and his strikes still lacked their full power due to his healing injury. He had no protective gear; no mask. He was vulnerable and exposed. It was a worst case scenario.

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_You have the home ground advantage this time _, he thought trying to steady his racing heart.__

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He saw the glint of steel before he saw her. Butterfly knives. Her eyes crinkled slightly, and Dick could swear she was smiling under her shemagh.

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“Have you come for a chat?” Dick asked. “I could make some coffee, and we could reminisce about old times.”

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“I'm here to clean up.”

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“Well, I don't really need a maid.”

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She continued to advance while they spoke; stopping just shy of striking distance. They waited to see who would make the first move.

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She struck first. The blade slicing through the air. He barely dodged it. She could match his speed and kept him on the defensive. The first cut to get through caught his thigh. It didn't hit major blood supply, but it was deep enough to further limit his movements. Then she got his back; a long vertical slash between his shoulders. Third, was his chest. The fourth happened when she disarmed him of his left eskrima stick. He wrested one of her knives out of her hands, but it cost him another gash.

She fought dirty. She kicked him hard him the stomach, purposely targeting the sensitive healing tissue. He fell back, with the wind knocked out of him. He hit his head on the wall, dazing him for the split second she needed to rid him of his remaining eskrima. As Dick continued to fight her off, he prayed Madi hadn't turned on the monitors in the room.

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Madi was sure the room was soundproof. Otherwise, they would have heard her scream. It was another nightmare come to life. _Not again. Not again. Not again. ___

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She’d seen the master switch to the screens, and turned it on hoping to see what was happening. Then she wished she hadn't. What she saw would haunt her dreams for years to come.

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Dick was fighting for his life against a black clad figure. Madi could see the blood pouring out of the open wounds on his body. It was getting everywhere; reminding her of another horror she had lived through. The memories flashed in her vision, overlapping with the scene in front on her. 

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Madi watched in anguish as Dick struggled to keep the intruder from slicing his throat; he was straining. The knife was touching his skin now. Madi looked away, not wanting to see the final moment.

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***

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The blade pressed into his skin and stung as it knicked him. Dick’s arms were shaking as he pushed against her with everything he had left to keep her from cutting deeper and dragging it across his throat.

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There was a crash and the sound of breaking glass followed by gunshots. The impact of the rubber bullets knocked his attacker to the ground. Enraged by the interruption, she lunged at Jason. He grabbed her by the wrists, and a bolt of electricity surged from his chest, rendering her unconscious. He unceremoniously dropped her on the floor and zip tied her wrists and feet.

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Jason knelt by Dick and checked his neck. “Are you dead, Dickwing?”

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Dick laughed at the absurdity of the situation. “No, thanks to you. Your timing couldn't have been better.”

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Batman and Robin came through the window next. “How badly are you hurt?” asked Bruce.

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Damian rushed over to Dick's side to help him up. “Not as bad as last time, miraculously,” Dick said. “But still pretty cut up.”

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“You are a fool, Grayson. You should have taken better precautions. Obviously, your security system is useless.”

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“Noted, Robin,” he said as he eased onto a stool. “Can someone get Madi out? She's probably freaking out right now.” Bruce busied himself with tending to Dick’s wounds, and Damian didn't move to leave his side. Dick looked to Jason.

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“What's the code?” Jason asked.

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“260917”

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He opened the door and found her tucked tightly into a ball sitting on the cot. The screens were on; she'd seen the whole thing. He swore loudly.

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She looked up at him with fearful eyes. Jason swore again remembering he still had his hood on; worried he was scaring her in his Red Hood persona. He yanked it off.

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“Is he dead?”

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Jason raked a hand through his hair. “No, Madi. Look.” He pointed to the screen where she could see Bruce and Damian caring for his injuries.

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She hadn't cried when she'd stopped watching the screens, thinking that Dick was dying on the other side of the door, but the tears came now. The kind that racked her entire body until she couldn't breathe.

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He stood there in shock, unsure of what to do. Consoling people wasn't his really in his skill set; that was more of Dick’s thing. Only Damian was worse at it then he was. But Madi showed no signs of stopping any time soon, so Jason took a chance and sat down beside her. She immediately leaned into him. After a few seconds, Jason awkwardly put his arm around her, and she responded by burrowing into the sense of security he provided. To his surprise, Jason heard himself murmuring quiet reassurances to her until she stopped crying.

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When Madi finally regained her composure, Jason helped her to her feet, “Come on, I don't like being in Dick’s closet.”

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Dick tried to jump up when Jason and Madi returned, but Bruce held him down. She looked him over. She had watched the fight and knew every injury, but seeing it in person was a different story. His shirt was off and one leg of his pants had been ripped away. Bruce and Damian were busy trying to stop the bleeding on his back. He was trying to bandage his own arms. Blood was already soaking through the bandage on his leg. She shook her head at him and came closer.

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“I can help. What do you need me to do?” she asked.

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Bruce looked at her surprised, but nodded. “Put a new compression bandage on his leg. Then start on his arm.”

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“Hey, B, we have a problem,” Jason said as he looked out the window. “Police are coming.”

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“Hood can take my friend to the roof using the bolt hole behind that bookcase. You won't be seen,” Dick suggested. Jason nodded and picked up the unconscious attacker. Bruce and Damian wordlessly went to Dick’s bedroom. They reappeared minutes later in civilian clothing. “Always keep a change of clothes handy. Never know when you'll need it,” he said to Madi when he saw her surprised expression. “Madi, follow my lead. This was a foiled burglary. Okay? We called Bruce right after.”

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“I got it,” she said, her voice still trembled.

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There was a buzz at the intercom. “This is the BPD. Can you open the door?”

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Bruce indicated for Damian to go down and let them in. Madi was still too shaky to handle the stairs. Bruce wrapped a blanket around Dick to hide his scarred torso and the extent of his injuries. Two officers followed Damian back up. They looked at the scene with mixed concern and suspicion. In Bludhaven, they never knew who was the victim or the offender.

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“I'm Officer Stark. This is Officer Rogers. There was a reported disturbance tonight. Can you give us any explanation to that?”

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Dick gestured to the disheveled apartment. “Someone tried to break in.”

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The officers walked further inside to take a better look. They saw the broken glass from the window and overturned furniture. 

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“Why didn't you call 911?” inquired Officer Stark.

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“We didn't get a chance to,” Dick said. “I woke up to use the bathroom, and I guess I scared them. They attacked me. I was a little too busy trying not to die, and protecting my girlfriend.”

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“Are you alright, Miss?” asked Officer Rogers.

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“I'm fine.”

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Officer Stark noticed the blood smeared all over the room. “That’s a lot of blood.”

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“It's mine,” answered Dick and gestured to his leg. “They had a knife.”

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“We'll call for an ambulance,” said Officer Rogers said and reached for his radio.

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“That won't be necessary,” Bruce said. “I'm here to take him to our private physician.”

"You fought off an armed intruder?" Officer Stark asked, his voice full of suspicion.

Dick nodded. "Bruce had all of us trained in self defense. I'd say it's come in handy tonight."

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Officer Stark narrowed his eyes in distrust. “The call said shots were fired. Care to shed some light on that?”

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“I don't own a gun, Officer.”

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“What about your girl, here?”

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“Neither of us do,” Madi answered.

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“Look,” Dick said exasperatedly, “there are no guns inside my apartment.” _This is technically true. The guns are currently outside, on the roof. ___

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“Then why was it reported that shots were heard?” asked Officer Rogers.

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“Maybe someone else nearby fired them. I didn't. This _is _Bludhaven. You can check us for gunpowder residue if you need to,” insisted Dick.__

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“Why are you acting like _we _did something wrong?” Madi asked.__

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“Because this is Bludhaven, doll. No one's hands are ever completely clean,” answered Officer Stark.

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“Officers, I applaud your thoroughness. However, my son is injured, and I would like to take him to receive medical care as soon as possible,” Bruce interjected. “They were the victims of a break in, plain and simple. Can we leave it at that?”

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Officer Stark walked over to Bruce and handed him a card. “We'll be in touch.” The two officers let themselves out.

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“They'll probably be watching the apartment now, Father,” said Damian.

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“Hrn,” Bruce said. He radioed Jason. “Hood, how are things up there?”

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“Peachy,” he answered. “Little Miss Sunshine started to wake up. I had to sedate her before she could get too frisky.”

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“Take her back to the cave. Use the jet but be discreet as you leave the roof. Stay in stealth mode.”

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“You finally let me fly the jet, and I can't have any fun with it? You’re a sadist, B.”

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Madi swore Bruce rolled his eyes under his cowl. “Discreet, Hood.”

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***

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Dick didn't know which was worse; the look Alfred gave him as he sutured his new cuts or how much he hurt right now. His stomach was throbbing where she'd kicked him, and even the lidocaine couldn't take the burn out of the cuts inflicted over his body. He'd been offered pain killers, but declined them. He wanted a clear head. Bruce was hovering, which was meant he was angry or worried.

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“Well, are you going to tell me what I did wrong, Bruce? Tell me I was reckless? I took an unnecessary risk? I should have hidden with Madi?”

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“No.”

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“No?”

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“No,” Bruce said. “I don't have to say it.”

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_Typical _. “Well, on the bright side, now we have one of theirs. Maybe we can get some information out of her.”__

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Jason walked over, making a show of dusting off his hands. “Sunshine is all tucked in. My good deed quota is filled. I had to dose her again; she's a feral little beast. You'd probably like her, Damian.”

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“We'll deal with her in the morning,” Bruce said. “Good work today, Jason.”

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Jason put a hand on his chest in exaggerated shock. Dick rolled his eyes. Jason looked at his older brother as Alfred finished up. “You okay?”

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“I will be.”

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“As long as he doesn't engage in any more knife fights. He's 0 for 2 so far,” said Alfred. “Now, go upstairs. Rest. And _stay _that way. I don't want to have to redo my handiwork because you don't obey orders.”__

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***

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“I am so mad at you right now.” Madi said and then kissed him hard. "Don't you ever do that to me again!"

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“I'm confused,” Dick said between kisses. “If you're mad, then why are you kissing me?”

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“Would you rather I slap you? Because I feel like doing that too.”

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“No, kissing is better.” He kissed her back. “We have to lay low for a while until we figure some things out. You'll need to take a leave of absence. I don't know how long this will take to sort out.”

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Madi closed her eyes and inhaled deeply. He could see her jaw working as she bit back her frustration. “What am I supposed to say?”

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“Use the story we told the police. Tell your boss you needed out of Bludhaven for a while to recover from the trauma. I doubt anyone would blame you.”

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“Isn't that the truth,” she grumbled.

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He caressed her cheek. “Are you okay?”

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_Are you kidding? No, I'm not okay! You're an idiot! _She nodded her head. “Just ever don't do that again.”__

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***

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Dick was angry. He wanted to confront his attacker. The woman who’d nearly killed him twice. _Twice. _Twice, she had gotten the upper hand, and once in his _own home _. He needed to know who she was, and what role she played in the big picture. Not only that, what did this mean for the rest of his family? Were they to expect similar visitors?____

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She was in a holding cell in the cave. Her covering had been removed revealing closely cropped brown hair. Her eyes were black brown color, and, mixed with her apathetic expression, made her look... soulless. Only her black eyes moved to acknowledge his presence. They quickly looked him over, and he could tell she was noting every vulnerability he had to exploit.

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“Do you want to tell me why you were at my place last night?”

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“I told you, I was there to clean up. My boss doesn't like loose ends.”

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“You were sent to kill me? You're an assassin?”

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She looked bored. “I'm whatever the job calls for.”

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“For who?”

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She wagged her finger and clicked her tongue. “Nope. You can only ask questions that relate to yourself.”

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Dick crossed his arms. “How did you find me?”

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“Wasn't hard. You've been less airborne due to recent... circumstances. I followed you home.”

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“You didn't find me from hacking my gear the last time we met?”

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She laughed. It was disconcerting. “You are a paranoid bunch, aren't you? Makes you easy targets.”

__________ _ _ _ _ _ _

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“You followed me; found my home. How did you get past my security?"

__________ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

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She looked amused again. "Like I said, you're a paranoid bunch. It makes you _predictable _."__

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________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

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______________Dick gritted his teeth. She was deliberately trying to get under his skin. "Now you know my face and probably my name. Who else knows?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

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She smiled sadistically. “Are you worried?”

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“This isn't a game.” He was losing his patience. It was as if she was taking a page out of his own playbook for the rules of being interrogated: snarky answers that provided no real information.

__________ _ _ _ _ _ _

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“Oh, but it's so much fun!” She started laughing again.

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	15. Nothing Special Here

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The new houseguest enjoys getting under their skin. She may be their captive, but it won't stop her from inflicting whatever damage she can.
> 
> Warning for brief mention of child abuse and underage prostitution.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey boy, take a look at me  
> Let me dirty up your mind  
> I'll strip away your hard veneer  
> And see what I can find 
> 
> This is what he pays me for  
> I'll show you how it's done   
> You'll learn to love the pain you feel  
> Like father, like son
> 
> You're hungry 'cause you starve  
> While holding back the tears  
> Choking on your smile  
> A fake behind the fear
> 
> You're nothing special here  
> The queerest of the queer
> 
> "Queer" - Garbage

He'd left her alone. _Again. ___

____

Madi didn't want to think of herself as a needy person, but everything had changed now. His identity may had been exposed. They couldn't go back home. She'd had to leave her job. Everytime she closed her eyes, she saw the blood in the apartment. And then there was the _other thing _weighing heavy on her mind. On top of everything else, she still had to figure out how to broach that subject. However, it was impossible to have an important conversation with someone who was _never around _.____

_____ _

_____ _

____

___She knew one thing for sure; she needed to get out of this house. Madi snuck out to her car and headed further into the Bristol community. It was mostly other manors, none as immense as the Wayne's, but over time a few small businesses had infiltrated. Mostly high end gourmet markets and boutiques. After driving around for a bit, Madi found what she was looking for._ _ _

_______ _ _ _

Damian watched Madi go into the drugstore with suspicion. He'd followed her on his motorcycle when he'd observed her sneaking out. Grayson had tasked him with watching her instead of helping interrogate his attacker; a complete waste of his skills. He was not a babysitter. But now he realized why Grayson had felt it necessary. The woman was foolish. It was dangerous for her to go out alone. Surely, she knew that. What could she possibly need that would warrant such an asinine risk? He pulled his hoodie lower and entered the store. He walked down the aisles until he found her. Immediately, his cheeks flamed red, and he spun around to leave the store. He had his answer; of all the ridiculous things.

_____***_ _ _ _ _

“So, you're lady friend. What's the story there? Are you just bed buddies or are you shacking up?”

_______ _ _ _

“She's none of your business.”

_______ _ _ _

She sucked her teeth. “See, I don't know. She might be another loose end.”

_______ _ _ _

“If anyone goes near her, I'll-”

_______ _ _ _

“You'll what?" she sneered. "You're impotent. You won't be able to protect her anymore than you could protect yourself.” 

_______ _ _ _

Dick felt a hand on his shoulder before he could reply. It was Tim; he just arrived from New York.

_______ _ _ _

“Hey,” Tim said and glared at their captee.

_______ _ _ _

She looked back at him with derision; taking in his Red Robin uniform with its wings-like cape. “What's with the costumes? You make the big guy with guns look normal. At least, his helmet makes sense. It’s identity concealing, protective, and has tactical purpose. You two, though, look like you belong at a fetish party. Don't even get me started on the Bats.”

_______ _ _ _

Tim silenced the audio to the cell, and turned his back to her so she couldn't read his lips. “Has she been like this the whole time?”

_______ _ _ _

“Pretty much.”

_______ _ _ _

“The facial recognition software is running, but it will take awhile. It's doing a global sweep allowing for age progression. There've been no hits on DNA or prints yet either,” Tim said. “Why don't you go rest? I'm sure you're hurting right now.”

_______ _ _ _

He was. His leg was throbbing; he shouldn't even been on it, but there was no way he would use crutches or even a cane in front of her. Tim nodded towards the med bay.

_______ _ _ _

“Fine," Dick acquiesced, "but only because Alfred will have a fit if I bust another suture.”

_____***_ _ _ _ _

“Let me guess, you have ways of making me talk,” she said derisively.

_______ _ _ _

Jason pulled out his gun and pointed it at her. “I _will _shoot you again.”__

____

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____

“Bring it on. Are you going to use real bullets this time, or be a pansy and go with rubber ones again?”

____

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____

“Don't tempt me, Sunshine!”

____

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____

“How about we play roulette? Loser talks first.”

____

“Chic, you might be crazier than I am.”

____

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____

“Does that turn you on? Why don't you come in here, and I'll show how crazy I can be?”

____

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____

“Oh, my god!” Jason turned on his heel and walked away from her toward his brothers. “Can I shoot her? At the least, tase her again?” Jason asked them. 

____

_______ _ _ _

____

“Maybe as a last resort, Jay,” Tim answered.

____

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“Damian would let me,” Jason muttered. “Where _is _the hellspawn? Where’s B for that matter?”__

____

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____

“Demon is keeping an eye on Madi, and Bruce is doing damage control with the BPD," Tim answered. "He's throwing around the Wayne name to get things handled quietly. The last thing we want is for the media to get wind of an armed robbery at Dick Grayson’s apartment involving mysterious gunshots. There's all kinds of ways they could run with that story. Not to mention the risk that whoever sent her might put two and two together.”

____

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____

“Why aren't _you _with your girl?” he asked Dick.__

____

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____

“It's more important that I take care of this. Everyone's safety is at stake here.”

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____

Tim and Jason exchanged a look. “I already said something,” Tim said. “You know big brother.”

____

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“He can be a di-”

____

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“Stubborn, Jay. Stubborn.”

____

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“Stubborn as an ass.”

____

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____

“Guys! I'm right here!”

____

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____

The computer beeped as the recognition software found a match. Josefin Cadiz. Mother died when she was five. Abusive father. Became a ward of the state at seven. Ran away multiple times. Finally succeeded at thirteen. Last seen after being busted for prostitution at sixteen. Now she was this. A mercenary? An assassin?

____

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____

Jason turned around and marched back over to her before his brothers could stop him.

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____

_________“Can I call you Jo?” Jason asked. “You don't much look like a Josefin to me.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____

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____

She smiled slowly, it was more like she was baring her teeth. “You can call me whatever you want, big boy. What should I call you? Hood? Are you another hood rat like me who clawed their way out?”

____

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____

Jason clicked the safety off his gun.

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_________“Red,” Tim said in warning to Jason as he and Dick came over._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____

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____

“Tell me,” Jo said, “do you three really fancy yourselves that different from me?” They glared at her. “I have a proposition for you. If you hear me out, humor me a bit and answer my questions; I'll tell you what you need to know.”

____

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____

“What do you want?” asked Tim.

____

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____

“Perspective,” she said. “It's a very strange business we find ourselves in.”

____

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____

“We are not in the same business,” Dick said.

____

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____

“Wait, hear me out.” She raised her hands in feigned innocence. “How is the Batman any different than my boss? My boss finds others like me and gives us purpose. Just like him. The Bat gave the circus boy a new audience, the angry street rat something to punch, and the martyr a worthy cause. You're all just little soldiers. Right now, our only real problem is that one of you got too nosy and came looking where he shouldn't.”

____

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____

“And so for that, you decided I should be killed?” asked Dick.

____

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____

“Wasn't my call. I followed orders. Track and eliminate. Since, obviously, your cold reception last time didn't serve as enough of a warning to keep you and friends from digging.”

____

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____

“We are _not _the same,” Dick said. “We don't blindly follow orders. We would never hunt someone down to kill them.”__

____

_____________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____

“No? Haven't _you _though?" she looked at Jason, then back to Dick. "Why were you at that ship? Who sent you? And maybe your intent wasn't to kill, but it is to issue a cease and desist order. Who makes you judge and jury? Forgive me if I'm wrong, but aren't you a vigilante? Isn't your very existence technically illegal? It's a bit laughable, one criminal telling another to stop breaking the law. Don't you find it exhausting being so hypocritical?”__

______ _ _

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“Okay, we listened to you long enough,” said Tim. “Now tell us what we want to know.”

______ _ _

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“Nope," she wagged her finger." I said I'd tell you what you _need _to know. Right now, Prettybird only needs to know if he's compromised or not.”__

______ _ _

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“Well, is he?”

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She smiled again, her black eyes cold. “Fortunately for him, I hadn't shared my discovery. Information is a valuable thing, don't you agree, Skinny Bird?”

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“You're in no position to make threats,” Tim replied.

______ _ _

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______ _ _

“Are you planning to keep me in here forever?” she asked. “I didn't take you for jailers. That will give us plenty of time to get to know one another better. I'm sure we'll become the best of friends,” she winked at Jason just to annoy him further.

______ _ _

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“That's up to you, Jo,” Dick spoke up. “Information is valuable, as you said.”

______ _ _

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“No, I don't see any reason to give you any more than I have,” she responded. “You wouldn't set me free even if I sang like a canary. Besides, I wouldn't want to do your jobs for you.” She turned on Tim, Red Robin, “I'd heard Skinny Bird was supposed to be a great detective. I guess, he's nothing but a second rate replacement.”

______ _ _

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______ _ _

Tim had been calm during this conversation. Anyone that knew him well, knew that the tranquility was a misnomer. The calmer Tim was, the more dangerous he was. Right now, Tim was the picture of serenity.

______ _ _

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“We're done here,” Dick said and lead his brothers away. They were finished with her mind games. She wasn't going to give them anything else.

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_____________***_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______ _ _

“Well, Bruce? What happened?”

______ _ _

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Bruce sat down in his office and pinched the bridge of his nose. _Tension headache. ___

______ _ _

_________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______ _ _

“I talked to the officers from last night and was able to persuade them not to file an official report. I convinced them the ensuing media frenzy would compromise any investigation they hoped to conduct, and you would be more than willing to cooperate on anything off the books. But as nothing was stolen, and you do not intend to file for insurance reimbursement, you do not require any official paperwork. At the moment, they are willing to comply, but if anything else suspicious happens, we won't be able to keep them out of it.”

______ _ _

_________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______ _ _

Dick collapsed into a chair. “Then it's contained. Our guest said she hadn't shared her whereabouts. She had been assigned to track down Nightwing and eliminate him, her words. She didn't make the identity link until she saw me sans mask.”

______ _ _

_________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______ _ _

“Small blessing, I suppose. Which means Nightwing is benched for the time being. I don't want them to send someone else to finish the job.” Dick wanted to argue, but he knew Bruce was right. “And _get off your leg _, before Alfred sees you and has a conniption.”__

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______ _ _

“So, what do you think?”

______ _ _

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______ _ _

Dick joined Madi at the one of the windows of the Wayne Tower penthouse.

______ _ _

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“The view’s nice.”

______ _ _

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______ _ _

“I know it's not home, but at least we have some privacy here.”

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______ _ _

“How long until we get our life back?”

______ _ _

___________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______ _ _

Madi picked up Phineas who was rubbing against her ankles and walked away from the window leaving Dick there. He rubbed his temples with his free hand. “I don't know. Not until this is over. Trust me, I'm as anxious as you for things to go back to normal.”

______ _ _

___________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______ _ _

“What's normal anymore?” Madi muttered under her breath. She cast a glance back at Dick who was still at the window. The silhouette of him leaning on a cane seemed so... wrong.

______ _ _

___________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______ _ _

“Hey, I didn't ask for this! Do you think I like feeling like sashimi? Do you think I like being grounded? It's torture.”

______ _ _

___________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______ _ _

“No, Dick," she said, the emotion she been surpressing boiling out of her. " _Torture _is being locked in room to watch the person you love be _mauled _by a psychopath. It's having to _uproot your life _on a moment’s notice. It’s dealing with it _alone _because said boyfriend has more important things to do.”________

______ _ _

_____ _

______ _ _

Dick knew she was right, but couldn't bring himself to apologize. Instead, he let his wounded pride and indignation take over. “I'm _sorry _that making sure people I care about aren't in danger isn't a priority for you too. The very people that _saved my life _mind you, and others that you don't even know yet. _Forgive me _, if I have a bigger picture to worry about.” He let the last sentence drip in sarcasm.______

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“Yes, the ‘big picture.’ Be the hero. Save the world. Or die trying, right?” Madi glared at him with her arms crossed. “Twice, Dick. Twice you've almost gotten yourself killed since we've been together.” 

______ _ _

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“So? You knew who I was when you signed up for this.”

______ _ _

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______________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

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_____ _

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“So? So?! _So?! _”__

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________________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

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_____ _

______ _ _

With that she spun on her heel and took off to the bedroom. He cringed as she slammed the door. _Okay, maybe not the best response. _They both had been on edge the last few days, this fight had been coming.__

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Dick sighed and decided to go up to the roof to get some air. Heights always had a grounding effect on him. He'd been sitting up there for a couple of hours watching the city when Damian in his Robin uniform landed silently beside him.

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__________________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

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“I thought I'd find you up here, Grayson.”

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__________________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

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_____ _

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“Hey, Robin.”

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__________________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

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Damian sat down next to him on the ledge. “Something troubling you? You're not you're usual loquacious self.”

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__________________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

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______ _ _

“You mean besides the obvious, Rob? We had a fight.”

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__________________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

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Damian considered this for a moment. “I imagine she's quite hormonal lately.”

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__________________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

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Dick shot Damian a strange look. “No, more than normal. She's got a right to be upset, given recent events.”

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__________________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

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“I imagine, almost losing the father of her child would be quite traumatic.”

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Dick did a double take. “Come again?”

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Damian looked back at Dick with uncertainty. “You don’t know?”

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Dick stood up. “Damian, know _what _?” he pressed, completely forgetting the "no names in the field" rule in his shock.__

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____________________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

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_____ _

______ _ _

Damian scrambled to his feet, suddenly looking like the awkward fifteen year old he was. “You need to talk to your woman, Grayson.” Then he dove off the building.

______ _ _

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____________________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______ _ _

_____ _

______ _ _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I swear on a stack of mint condition Golden Age comics that I had a rough draft of this story written BEFORE the "Nightwing Must Die" story arc. I thought maybe they had peered into my brain. Sorry for spoilers if you haven't read that arc yet.


	16. Head's Under Water

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> He _cannot _deal with this; everything is snowballing. He and Madi find themselves at a crossroads.__

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> How many times do I have to tell you  
> Even when you're crying you're beautiful too  
> The world is beating you down, I'm around through every mood   
> You're my downfall, you're my muse  
> My worst distraction, my rhythm and blues   
> I can't stop singing, it's ringing, in my head for you   
> My head's under water   
> But I'm breathing fine  
> You're crazy and I'm out of my mind  
> "All Of Me" - John Legend

Dick was stunned. Had he heard Damian right? _Did he just say that Madi’s pregnant? ___

____

He felt nauseous thinking back to the times they'd been together. They'd been careful, but it wasn't an impossibility. _How could I have been so stupid? _She was asleep when Dick came into the bedroom, but there was no way he could let this wait until morning.__

____

____

____

He gently nudged her. “Hey, Madi. Wake up.”

____

____

____

“Mm? What?” she asked groggily; her voice still full of resentment. “What do you want?”

____

____

____

“We need to talk.”

____

____

____

She sat up and rubbed her eyes. “What on earth, Dick? There's _nothing _I want to say to you right now.”__

____

______ _ _

____

“Are you sure about that?” he accused.

____

______ _ _

____

“Huh?” She squinted at him. “Dick, I was sound asleep. You need to start making sense. Or go away.”

____

______ _ _

____

“Madi, are you pregnant?” Dick asked flatly.

____

______ _ _

____

His abrupt question jolted her completely awake. “Why would you ask me that?” Now she was suspicious.

____

______ _ _

____

“Damian.”

____

"Ugh!" She slapped her forehead and flopped back down on her pillow. “Do you people _ever _go off duty? Family full of freaking detectives!”__

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________ _ _ _ _

____

The knot in Dick's stomach twisted tighter. “So, it's true?”

____

________ _ _ _ _

____

She turned away from him. “I don't want to talk about this right now.”

____

________ _ _ _ _

____

“Evidently, you didn't want to have this conversation _at all _. Were you _ever _going to tell me, or just wait until you couldn't hide it anymore?”____

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____

Madi sat back up and hugged her knees. “That's not fair.”

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His emotions were switching from shock to betrayal. “Damian. Damian! Of all people! That's how I find out. I don't understand-”

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“Dick-”

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“-why you didn't tell me!”

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“Dick, I’m-”

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“Madi, how could you keep something like this from me?!”

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“I couldn't find a good time to bring it up," she said bitterly. "You were too busy."

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The sense of betrayal became anger. “Seriously?! This is my life, Madi! There was _never _going to be a good time to bring it up!”__

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She winced as if she'd been struck. “Apparently.”

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“When did you find out? And _why _does Damian know?”__

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She hesitated before answering, her own indignance saturating her voice. “Because he's a snoop! I bought a test, that's all. I haven't even taken it yet! Which is also _why _I haven't said anything. All I know for sure is that I'm late. It could be nothing.”__

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A dozen feelings were running through him now, and he didn't know which one was the right one.

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“How late are you?”

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“A little over two weeks now.”

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He took a few deep breaths, trying to think of alternative explanations in an attempt to calm himself. “Two weeks?”

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“Yes.”

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Dick groaned. “I can't believe this is happening right now! You have _no idea _how bad this is!”__

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__“I think I do,” she said quietly._ _

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“Can you just... take the test? Can you do it now? We can know for sure and... figure out how to deal with it.” She flinched again.

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She eased out of bed and walked toward the bathroom. “I'm sorry, Dick,” she said in a small voice and closed the door.

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_I'm going to be sick. _Dick ran through different scenarios while he waited. What he would say if it was positive. What they would do. He replayed his initial reaction and their conversation in his mind. He swore to himself knowing he'd royally screwed this up. After a few minutes, he knocked on the door. “Madi, I'm sorry, but I'm a little out of my depth here. I'm saying everything wrong. I'm not upset with you. I was there too. I'm as much to blame as you are. Madi?” She didn't reply. “Look, everything is going to be fine. Madi? Madi?”__

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“Come in.” Her voice was monotone.

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He opened the door and found her sitting on the edge of the tub holding the test. She had been crying silently. _What have I done? _“Well? Are we pregnant?”__

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“Look for yourself.” She shoved the test at him and pushed him out of her way.

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Dick needed a second before he could look at it. Here was his future written in blue lines. He set it down and followed her to the living room. “Are you okay?”

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“I'm _fine _.” She looked anything but fine. Her cheeks were tear stained, but eyes and tone were daggers.__

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He was at a loss for what to do. _Do I give her space, or do I hold her? _“I'm going to call Damian. I need to tell him it was a false alarm before he gives Bruce an aneurysm.”__

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“I think if you’d wanted it, Bruce would have been happy for you.”

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“It's not that I... It would've been okay, you know, if you had been... I would've been terrified, sure, but...”

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“Whatever. Just go call Damian, and leave me alone.”

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“Dick, what's going on? Wally said you've been grounded? You got attacked in your _home _?” Roy asked over the phone.__

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__Dick sat in the penthouse office, fine tuning batarangs. “Yeah.”_ _

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“What happened?” Roy asked.

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“Apparently, the job was to kill me to send a message to the rest of you,” Dick said. “Thankfully, we caught the messenger instead.”

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“Are you okay?”

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“I've had better days.”

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“And your girlfriend, Madi, is it? Is she okay?”

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“...”

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“Talk, man. What happened?”

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“She's pissed at me.”

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“Bound to happen sooner or later.”

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“Yeah, but I _really _screwed up on this one. I don't know if she's going to forgive me. I acted like a complete idiot.”__

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“Nobody's perfect, Dick. I'm sure she knows that.”

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“She's barely spoken to me in the last few days. It's really uncomfortable because we're kinda trapped together right now.”

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“Maybe she just wants some space.”

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“I've _been _giving her space. The worst is the 'look' she gives me. The ‘you're-the-worst-excuse-for-a-human-being-I-can't-believe-how-much-you've-disappointed-me-I've-met-super-villains-with-more-integrity-than-you’ look.”__

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“Wow, Dick. What did you do?”

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“I don't want to say it. Just know that it was bad.”

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“Look, Dick, I know you. You're a good guy. Are you a saint? No. But you're a good guy. Cut yourself some slack. You're human. You made a mistake. If she can't see that, then maybe you're better off.”

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Dick sighed. “So, that's your advice? Tell her to get over it? I don't see that going over very well.”

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“Hey, man, I'm the _last _person to give relationship advice. All I'm saying is, don't beat yourself up too much. Either you'll work it out or you won't. But I'm not the one you should be talking to about it.”__

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They hung up. Dick knew Roy was right. They weren't going to solve anything continuing the way they were. Madi had moved out of the master and into one of the secondary rooms. She only spoke to him for essential communication. If he couldn't make this right soon, then it would be over for good. When he thought about that it made his chest seize up.

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He knocked on her bedroom door. She cracked it open. “What?” her voice was unwelcoming.

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“Can we talk?”

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She stared at him for a minute as she decided whether or not to shut the door in his face or hear him out. _Wow, she's even developing her own “Bat-glare.” ___

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“Fine,” she relented and walked away from the door. He let himself in and sat down next to her on the bed.

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“Madi, you have every right to be angry with me. I'm not asking for you not to be upset. But I wanted you to know that I am sorry.”

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She weighed his words. “I thought we were in this together, but all you cared about was yourself. Do you have any idea what those last few days were like for _me _?”__

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“You're right. I completely disregarded your feelings. Then when Damian said you were pregnant, all I could think about was how it affected _my _life. I acted like a jerk. But cut me a little slack. I know you had your reasons, but you’d kept me in the dark. I found out I may be a father from _Damian _, not the woman I love.”____

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“I know. I'm sorry. I never meant for that to happen.”

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They sat there looking at each other. “Can we come back from this, Madi?”

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She looked down. He saw a tear roll down her cheek. “I spent the last two weeks trying to think of a way to tell you. There was always something happening. You were so stressed over how this case was going. And then-”

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“Things really hit the fan, and when it did come out, I said all the wrong things. I know that; I was scared. It _would have _changed everything, but that doesn't mean I think things would have been ruined. Do you really believe that?”__

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“You've been pretty clear about not wanting kids right now. Maybe not ever. How would you have honesty felt if I was knocked up?”

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“You mean, if I became a father? I'd adjust, Madi. If life has taught me nothing else, it's that you have to be adaptable. When I was twelve, I thought I would spend the rest of my life on the trapeze. I'd marry a circus girl. We'd have our own circus babies, and I’d teach them to fly like my parents taught me. But that dream came crashing down. Then I found a new purpose and a new family. Now I'm with you, and I've learned one thing; I want to marry you. And maybe someday, we'll make a baby. And it will be scary and terrifying because we'll have no idea what we're doing. But we'll figure it out together.”

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_________________________________________His heart pounded as he waited for her response._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

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Madi shot to her feet, putting distance between them. “Don't you dare say that!”

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“Madi-”

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“No! This isn't a joke, Dick. It’s serious. You can't say things like that.”

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“Why not?”

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“Because it's not something you say on a whim. Those words mean something. They're a real commitment. To put someone else first.”

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“I know. I meant them.”

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She turned her back to him. “You're not ready.”

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He sighed. “Madi, I'm sorry. I was a selfish bastard, I know that. You can still be pissed at me, but just don't write me off yet.”

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She turned back around and looked him in the eye. “You were a real jerk.”

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“I know.”

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“I'm still mad at you.”

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“I know.”

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“But I still love you.”

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_________________________________________Dick smiled and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her into his chest. “I know.” He heard her scoff into his shirt. After a few minutes, he whispered into her ear, “I meant it, Madi. I can't offer you a traditional life, but-”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

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She broke away enough to look up at him. “Dick-”

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“I want to marry you,” he said softly.

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He could feel her start to breathe a little faster. She bit her lip. “Are you asking me or telling me?”

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He gently held her face in his hands and stroked her cheek with his thumb. “Both,” he said and kissed her.

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“So, just to clarify, are we, like, engaged now?”

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Dick stopped crunching on his cereal at her question. He furrowed his brow, chewed a couple more times, and swallowed. She watched his reaction over her cup of tea.

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“Yes,” he said in a way that could have been a question or a statement. “That's typically the way it works.”

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“Mhm,” she said and took a sip. “I was just checking.”

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Dick ate another spoonful of cereal. They looked at each other across the small table on the balcony. “So, yeah, we're engaged then,” he confirmed.

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“Like, we need to actually plan a wedding?”

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He raised an eyebrow. “Again, I'm pretty sure that's the natural order of events.”

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Madi stared into her tea and took another sip. “Mmhmm.”

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Dick put his spoon down. “Am I missing something? I know I skipped the whole ring part. And I will _totally _make that up to you. But why the confusion?”__

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Madi set her cup down. “I'm just wondering how this works for someone like you.”

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“Someone like me?”

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“You know.” She gave him a pointed look and made a karate chop movement with her hands. “Do you have special rules to follow? Do you need permission from a great and powerful king of the superheroes before you can marry?”

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He rubbed the back of his head. “Um, no?”

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“You don't sound too sure about that. What about Batman?”

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_Well, last time I planned a wedding, it was to an alien warrior princess, so it was a whole different ballgame. But there is no way I'm going to bring that up right now. Or ever. _“You know, we can worry about that later. I think-” He was interrupted by his phone going off. It was Bruce. _Speak of the devil. _She waved her hand at him to answer it. “Hey, Bruce.”____

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“Dick. There's some new intel that's come to our attention. I need you back here.”

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“Bruce, I'm kind of in the middle of something. Can't you just send it to me, and I'll look over it here?”

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“No. Bring Madi with you.”

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“Bruce-” He was speaking to dial tone. Dick grunted and lightly banged his head on the table in exasperation. He felt Madi’s hand in his hair followed by her lips as she stood to clear their breakfast dishes away. He didn't even have to say anything; she already knew. _I really do have to marry this woman. ___

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**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know he's normally portrayed as wanting a family, so his reaction here may seem a bit extreme. 
> 
> Keep in mind this Dick Grayson is older and a little more battle hardened. I think experiencing the death of his surrogate son Damian would have affected his feelings toward a family of his own; as well as witnessing the turmoil that many of Bruce's actions have put his son through.
> 
> Also, this revelation arrives when emotions are already running high.
> 
> Thanks to everyone who's been following the story so far. I hope you're enjoying it! Feedback is always welcome. Even dissenting opinions. I'd love to know what everyone thinks.


	17. Games You Play

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The shadow from Madi's past looms darker over her new life. Dick makes an announcement to his family that could either bring them closer together or drive a wedge between them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My hands, they're strong   
> But my knees were far too weak  
> To stand in your arms   
> Without falling to your feet  
> But there's a side to you  
> That I never knew, never knew   
> All the things you'd say   
> They were never true, never true  
> And the games you'd play  
> You would always win, always win  
> But I set fire to the rain  
> "Set Fire To The Rain" - Adele Adkins

“So, what have we got?” Dick asked. “What is _so _important that I had to come here personally?”__

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“What do you know about Philip Cole?” Bruce asked as he pulled up a photo and surveillance footage.

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“Not much. Only that he’s a first class scum bag. He was engaged to Madi at one time, but he broke up with her right after her family died. Then he immediately took up with her best friend. We ran into them a couple months ago here in Gotham. Said he'd recently relocated here. What does he have do with anything?”

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“We found a name. It was buried under layers of subterfuge and shell companies, but we found it. Cole Industrustries. They provide the funding for the youth center in Keystone City as well one in Star City. They also have controlling stakes in research centers throughout the country. But their public face is manufacturing. That's presumably why he is in Gotham, to open a new factory,” supplied Tim.

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“Why do you say 'presumably'?”

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“I met with him yesterday at Wayne Enterprises,” said Bruce. “Something about him didn't sit right with me. He's not an ignorant front man. I think he's directly involved with what we've been seeing.”

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_Now it makes sense. _“That's why you told me to bring Madi," Dick said flatly. "You want to question her about her ex.” Anger boiled up inside of him.__

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“At this point, she knows the most about him,” Tim reasoned. "It will be the quickest way to help us build a profile."

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“No! I won't allow it," Dick argued. "She won't know anything that can help us. You'll only tear open old wounds.”

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“Grayson, you're not thinking logically. If she were anyone else, you'd agree that we should talk to her,” said Damian.

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“She's _not _anyone else! She's going to be my wife! If any one of you go near her, I swear, so help me-”__

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He felt a hand on his shoulder. It was Alfred.

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“Master Richard, why don't we go upstairs and get some fresh air?”

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Dick inhaled shakily, adrenaline was coursing through him. He unclenched the fist he didn't realize he'd raised. “Yeah, Alfred, that's a good idea.”

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They walked back up to the manor. Once inside, Alfred said, “Come with me, Richard. I'm going to make you both some tea.”

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He followed him to the kitchen and slumped into one of the counter stools. “I'm not wrong, Alfred. Questioning her would only cause her pain. I don't want to hurt her more than she already has been.”

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Alfred put the kettle on and sat down next to him. “That was quite an announcement. My congratulations.”

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“What? Oh, thanks, Alfred.” _I did just tell everyone, didn't I? _“Yeah, that wasn't exactly how I planned to tell you all.”__

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“Is it possible, that in taking this next step you've become _over _protective? You've always been fiercely loyal to your family. An admirable quality, but, in this case, could it be clouding your judgement?”__

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“Alfred, you weren't there when she saw him. I don't want to put her through that again.”

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“Master Richard, what would _she _want? If this Philip Cole is a nefarious individual, then wouldn't she want him brought to justice?”__

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“Probably.” 

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“Why not let her make the decision?”

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The kettle started to whistled, and Alfred rose to attend it. Dick thought over what he had said. 

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“Alright, I'll ask her, but if she doesn't want to talk, I'm not going to press it. They'll have to figure something else out.”

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***

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“Well, you're back sooner than I expected. Did it go well?”

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He'd found her curled up in a chair in his bedroom, reading one of her medical journals. He set down the prepared tray. “I brought up some tea and sandwiches that Alfie made.”

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“That was thoughtful of him.”

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“Yeah.” He sighed and sat down on the floor next to her chair. He rested his head against her leg.

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She tossed the journal away. “Hey, what gives? What's wrong?”

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“They think they've found out who's behind everything.”

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“Isn't that good news?”

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“Yeah.”

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She ran her fingers through his hair. “But?”

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He buried his face between the cushion and her leg. “It's Cole Industries. Specifically, Philip.” He heard her inhale sharply and knew she'd understood despite his muffled voice. 

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“I see,” she said quietly.

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“Bruce would like to talk to you,” Dick said looking up at her. “You can say no. I'll support you.”

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Her stomach knotted. “What could I possibly know?”

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“It's the things people don't think are important that usually are. You know his family. His character. His history. These things help us build a profile.”

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She closed her eyes and thought it over. Her first instinct was to say no. She'd worked hard to come to terms with what had transpired. She didn't want to relive it. _But if he's hurting other people? _“Okay. I'll do it.”__

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***

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They gathered in a room Madi hadn't been in before. It was meant to be comfortable, to make it feel less like an interrogation. She and Dick were seated on one sofa; Tim and Damian in another. Bruce was seated in a chair in front of them both.

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“So, you _are _part of all this?” she asked Tim.__

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“I am.”

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“Why reveal yourself now, Tim?”

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“If you're willing to do this for us, you deserve to know.”

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She nodded her head, acknowledging the trust he was giving her. She would have said something more, but her thoughts were occupied with concocting how to answer the coming questions and maintain her privacy. There were things she was unwilling to say in this room.

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“Shall we get started?” Bruce asked and cued a recording device.

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Madi nodded again.

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“How did you meet Philip Cole?” Bruce began.

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“At Columbia, during my sophomore year. He was a senior. We were lab partners.”

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“What was the progression of your relationship?”

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She looked at Dick. “Well...”

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“Madi, it's okay. Just be honest,” he said.

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“I was very focused on my studies and had told him I had no time for a boyfriend. But he was very charming. Soon we were seeing eachother outside of the lab. Before I knew it, we were dating. The end of my senior year, we became engaged with plans to marry shortly after I finished my DPT. But that never happened.”

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“You described him as charming. Can you elaborate on that?"

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Madi swallowed hard. "He could be very persuasive. Philip was used to getting what he wanted because he was wealthy, attractive, and people thought he was a nice guy."

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Bruce's eyebrows raised almost imperceptibley. "How did he treat you while you were together?”

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She started to fidget with the ends of her hair. _Why did I agree to this? _“Mostly, okay.”__

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“What do you mean by 'mostly'?” Dick asked, suspicion and alarm in his voice.

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“Well,” she paused to steady her voice, “he was always very opinionated and wouldn't hesitate to tell me if he liked something or not. After we were engaged, he became more controlling and critical. Demanding, you could say. If I objected to something, he'd say being a Cole’s wife came with obligations, and I'd better start get used to them now. I chalked most of his bad attitude up to stress, so I didn't let it bother me too much... We were both under a lot at the time.”

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Madi could see Dick’s jaw tighten out of the corner of her eye.

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“What can you tell us about his family?” asked Tim noticing Dick. He'd noticed the small flare of anger too. They needed to redirect the questions before he lost his temper.

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“Very close. Very private. I remember they asked me a lot of questions about my family history. Like ancestry stuff. They were very into that. His father was always traveling for business. Once Philip started working for the company, he was gone a lot too. He's an only child, so it would fall to him alone to take over for his father. His mother didn't trouble herself with the family business. They were a bit old fashioned in that sense.”

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“What did he say about the family business?”

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“Just that it had been in the family for five generations. He felt a lot of pressure to live up to the family legacy. He said he had big ideas on how to take it to the next level, but he never really talked in detail about them. If I asked too many questions, he said I shouldn't concern myself with it.”

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“Was there ever anything you found strange about him or his family?”

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“I think everyone finds their potential in-laws strange. But no, nothing specific comes to mind. The only thing I ever thought was odd was that Philip was a biochemistry major. For someone inheriting a manufacturing company, I thought it was an unpractical choice.”

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“And now, the end of your relationship. It was sudden. Can you tell us what happened?” Bruce asked.

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“To put it simply, he freaked out. He called me after the worst day of my life and said he didn't want to get married anymore. I saw a wedding announcement for him two months later. He’d found someone else. I hadn't seen or spoken to him since then until we ran into him in Gotham. I don't know what else I can tell you other than his favorite color was orange, and he's afraid of frogs.”

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“Really? Frogs?” asked Dick.

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“And orange?” added Tim.

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“Tt. This guy is a tool,” said Damian.

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“Madi, thank you. I know, this was unpleasant for you,” said Bruce. 

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“Well, I hope I gave you something useful.” She stood up and kissed Dick on the forehead before she left the room.

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“What do you think? Was it worth it? Making her dredge that up?” Dick asked bitterly.

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“Not to be callous, but yes. I have a better idea of who we're dealing with now,” said Bruce.

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“They're arms dealers. I'm sure of it,” Tim said. “I've been looking at the companies they either control or own outright. It gives them everything they need to produce all manner of weapons to be sold on the black market. Since all the components are separate, no red flags.”

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“What about our house guest and her friends? Where do they fit in?”

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“Their own brand of mercenary. You heard Wood. Cole said he was going to take the family business to the next level. I'll bet that's what he's talking about,” Damian said.

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“Our next step?” Dick asked.

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“We need proof,” Bruce said. “We find the evidence tying Cole Industries to the Conglomerate.”

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***

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Dick found her in the gym. _Blowing off steam, no doubt. ___

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She didn't move from her pose when she saw him. “Do you really think he's a bad guy?”

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His expression darkened. “For the way he treated you? Absolutely. Is he involved in something illegal? It's looking that way.”

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“What will happen to Samantha?”

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“It depends on if she's involved too.” He sat on the floor next to her. “Madi, I'm sorry. I didn't know what Bruce wanted. If I had-”

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“No. You don't have anything to apologize for.”

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He took a deep breath. “Don't be too quick to forgive me. I may have done something else.”

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“What did you do?” she asked as she switched positions, bending in a way that most found impossible. He smiled a little as he watched her.

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“I may have already told everyone... that we're getting married.”

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She glanced at him. “Why? I mean, I guess it wasn't a secret. But why do it without me?”

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“I was angry. I was trying to defend you, and it just sort of... came out.”

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She shook her head. “Is that why Tim decided to fess up?”

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“I think so. No sense in continuing the charade if you're going to be around for the long term. It would be too hard.”

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“He's Red Robin, isn't he? That's the only thing that fits.”

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“He could be Batgirl. He's skinny enough.”

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She righted herself to a normal standing position. “I'm so going to tell him you said that.”

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***

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“Titus, fetch!”

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Madi rounded the corner to see Damian playing with an enormous Great Dane. They had spent the night, and she'd gone for a run that morning on the manor grounds. It was a beautiful house, but the outside was incredible. The lawn was perfectly manicured, and the gardens perfectly tended.

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“Hi, Damian. Didn't think I see you up this early,” she said as she pulled her running shoes off. She wiggled her toes in the soft grass.

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“I haven't been to sleep yet. What are you doing?”

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“I went for a run. Just finished.”

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“No. I gathered as much from your attire and perspiration. I meant, why did you take your shoes off?”

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“Don't you ever walk around barefoot in the grass, Damian?”

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“No. Why would I?”

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“Because, it's fun.”

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“I fail to see its appeal.”

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“Oh, Damian.” She sat down, and Titus came over to check her out. “Take off your shoes.”

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He started to argue, but decided to comply. “Now, what?”

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Madi smiled. “Just enjoy the feel of the grass. The way it tickles your toes when you walk.”

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He walked in a small circle and furrowed his brow. “This is ridiculous.”

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She grabbed his hand and pulled him down next to her. “It's supposed to be.” She patted Titus and threw his stick. He chased after it. “He's a beautiful dog.”

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“Thank you. Father gave him to me.” He glanced over at her. “So, you and Grayson are getting married?”

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“That's the plan.”

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“Was it also part of your plan to get pregnant, Wood? So, he would marry you?”

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She raised an eyebrow and shot him a Look. “Listen, I'm going to cut you some slack right now because I know how important Dick is to you-”

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“Tt.”

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“-but do _not _accuse me of trying trap to trick Dick into marrying me. There was never an evil plan. Nor is it my intention to take Dick away from you or this family. I would never do that.”__

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“Things will change,” Damian asserted.

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“Probably, but I promise, Damian, you will always be part of our lives," Madi assured Damian in his unexpected moment of vulnerability. She picked at the grass as she spoke her next words, "In fact, I wanted to ask you something.”

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“What is it?”

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“Would you walk me down the aisle?”

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Damian stared at her for a minute, processing what she was asking of him. Then without a word he hugged her briefly. Before she could respond, he stood up and ran back to the house with Titus in tow. 

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_I'll take that as a yes. _She laid down on the grass and looked up at the clouds.__

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***

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Dick tried to talk Jo Cadiz again. He still had problems reconciling the unassuming name with her fierce nature. It didn't fit. She'd changed out of her black garb into the simple clothes they'd provided her. She’d smiled coldly when she saw him.

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“I met the baby bird. I liked him. He's got spirit. Is he yours?” she asked.

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“He belongs to all of us.”

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“Birds of a feather, eh?”

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“Something like that.”

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“Tell me, Pretty Bird. I know all about the birds and the bees, but, this business of the birds and the bats, I don't understand. How does that work?”

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“Opposites attract. What about your group? Do you think anyone is looking for you?”

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“Not unless they've been told to,” she said nonchalantly. "You should should pray they haven't been."

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“No one cares? That's sad. My boss would care.”

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“He trusts us to do our job. I'll come back when I've finished mine.”

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Dick ignored her veiled threat. “What do you know about Cole Industries?”

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“They make things. All kinds of things.”

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“Are you one of their products?”

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“So direct," she sneered. "Come now, Pretty Bird, you should know you can't get something for nothing. The Hoodrat knows this. Where is he? He amuses me.”

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“He's busy,” Dick answered. “So, what do you want?”

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“What are you offering?” she countered.

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“You're boss is going down. Whether you go down with them, is up to you.”

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She gave him a whithering look. “You're boring me, Pretty Bird. Fly away.”

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________________Dick gave up and headed back to Tim and Bruce at the computer bank. Tim had pulled one of his customary all-nighters digging into the Cole family._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

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Tim yawned and stretched. “Facial recognition has picked up father and son around the globe doing business with various dignitaries. I've got it running on people in the background to see if there's any matches on missing persons from Star City or Keystone City. If someone like our guest is just another product to them, maybe they'll show up in the security detail.”

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“Smart thinking,” said Dick.

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“As for the family itself. Clean so far. No smoking guns yet. I'm following the money. It's always the money that gives it away, but there's a lot of subsidiaries for them to launder it through.” He yawned again.

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“Go to bed, Tim,” said Bruce.

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“No, I'm fine. I just need more coffee.”

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“Go. I'm kicking you out for a couple hours. Get some sleep.”

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“Fine,” Tim said and trudged up to the house. He passed by the kitchen on the way to his room. Alfred saw him and called out.

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“Master Timothy, can I get you some breakfast?” asked Albert.

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“No thanks, I can get it myself later, Alfred," he answered poking his head around the doorway. "I'm going to my room." 

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“Long night?” Madi asked. She was seated next to Alfred; the two had been chatting over tea.

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“Mhm,” Tim responded as he continued on his way.

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“He looks like he's going to fall asleep on his feet,” he heard her say to Alfred.

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“Quite typical. He has a habit of running himself to the point of utter collapse,” Alfred replied.

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“I can still hear you,” Tim hollered over his shoulder down the hall. "I'm tired, not deaf."

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Master Timothy, if I find you working in your room and not sleeping, I _will _drug your coffee!" Alfred warned the obstinate young man. He turned his attention back to their previous conversation. “Have you started planning your nuptials yet, Miss Madilyn?” Alfred asked.__

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Madi sighed. “No, we haven't had a chance. It just happened. He didn't even have a ring ready when he asked me, not that it matters.” She stared at her tea.

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After living years with a non-communicative boy, Alfred had learned to pick up on nonverbal cues. “Something troubling you?”

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“I’m probably overthinking things.”

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“This house is full of overthinkers. You can speak freely.”

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“I don't think Bruce likes me much," she confided. "I know he's not much of a talker, but he barely acknowledges me. His needing info about Philip, was the most he's ever spoken to me. Even that first time I was here, when he insisted on meeting me, we barely spoke.”

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Alfred offered a small smile. “He likes you. He's just being a protective father. He and Master Richard share a special bond. They both lost the two people that meant the world to them, and then dedicated their lives to preventing others from feeling the same loss. They argue and fight, but that's how they communicate. What Richard views as criticism and condemnation is Master Bruce's way of expressing he's worried and scared for him. Master Richard challenges him to try new ways and keep himself open.” He placed a hand over hers. “You, Miss Madilyn, scare him.”

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“Me? Scare _him _?”__

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“You presented an element beyond his control. That night after the gala, he spoke to me about you. He said you were everything he was afraid you would be. He said you were fearless, intelligent, and kind.”

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“I didn't feel fearless that night. Or particularly intelligent.”

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“The mere fact that you came, to meet him on his turf, spoke volumes. He'd watched you from the moment you'd arrived at the party. Dealing with the paparazzi, the other guests, meeting Damian. He said you never faltered.”

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“I don't know whether to be creeped out or flattered.”

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“Nonetheless, rest assured you have his approval, Miss Madilyn.”

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**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tell me, who guessed it? Who saw that coming?


	18. Eyes Stare Up

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With shadows encroaching upon her, the buried memories started resurfacing. While coping with the after effects, Madi bonds with someone she didn't expect.
> 
> Warning for descriptions of violence involving mental illness.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A forest fire  
> Nibbles at your veins   
> Crawls up your arm  
> Runs away with your mind  
> And burns dry thoughts like leaves  
> Amen
> 
> Eyes stare up  
> But something's in the way  
> In the Bible only angels have wings  
> And the rest must wait to be saved
> 
> Some are being beaten  
> Some are being born  
> And some can't tell the difference anymore   
> Amen
> 
> "Amen" - Jewel Kilcher

The rest of the day passed normally. Dick took short breaks to check on her throughout the day. Madi assured him that she was fine and keeping herself occupied. Alfred had given her a journal to write wedding planning ideas in. She felt like he was secretly excited to help coordinate something besides covert ops. 

She popped in her earbuds and settled into the plush armchair in the library. She scrolled through her music until she found what she was looking for, a recording of her parents singing together. Their melodic voices filled her ears. She tried to think of somethings and jotted down a few ideas. She tried to be excited, but, mostly, it made her sad. Her thoughts kept drifting back to the first time she did this. Between her fiance’s connections and her mother’s tastes, that ceremony was going to be much more elaborate than anything she had envisioned. But she had nothing but good memories of spending time with her mother as she'd helped her navigate everything. The afternoon, she and her mother were going to her final dress fitting should have been a happy day. Instead, it had been a nightmare.

***

_“Hi, Mom! I'm here! Sorry, I'm running late. Traffic was terrible.” Madi dropped her keys in the dish and set her purse on the shelf. “Mom?” ___

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_No answer. Strange. Normally, her mother would've been pacing by the door by now. The house smelled funny too, metallic. There was a soft whimper coming from the kitchen. She walked toward it. ___

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_The sight of the brick red smear on the wall made her blood run cold. A handprint. “Mom? Dad? Ben?” Her heart started to pound. The smell was getting stronger. ___

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_Her foot slipped in a puddle of water, and she fell on the ground. It was thick and sticky; not water. She looked down. More red. Now she was covered in the viscous material. “Nononononono! Mom! Dad! Ben!” The whimper responded to her cries again. She crawled toward the sound, praying. ___

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_“NO!” She saw her father first, face up, blank eyes open looking at nothing. His chest carved and splayed open. Then she saw her mother. Her beautiful mother. Her once luminous skin now grey and her blonde hair stained red by the pool of blood. Like her father, someone had ripped her opened. Madi screamed until her throat gave out. She sobbed. Who could have done this? Why would they do this? ___

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_She heard the whimper again. “Ben? Are you here? Please, tell me you're okay.” ___

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_She crawled on her hands and knees, following the sound. She choked on a cry of relief. It was Ben; covered their parent's blood, but alive. Her baby brother was huddled in a corner; lightly beating his head against the wall, muttering to himself. ___

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_She pulled him into a tight hug. “Ben. I'm here. Madi's here.” ___

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_His eyes shot open at the sound of her voice and he fought against her hold. “No, Madi. It's not safe.” ___

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_She could see he was in the throws of an episode; triggered by the trauma of seeing their parents mutilated. She tried to keep her voice and body calm and steady. “I know, Ben. Something bad happened. But you're okay. We need to get out of here and get help.” Then she saw the knife. He was holding a knife. She looked at his eyes. They were wild. “Ben, what happened?” ___

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_“I had to.” ___

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_Oh, god. Please, no! Her parents said he had been struggling recently. The medications that normally held his demons at bay had become less effective. “Ben, it's okay. We need to call someone to help us. Let's go somewhere safe.” ___

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_“No!" ___

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_“Ben, please, we need to get help.” ___

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_“You. You're just like them.” ___

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_She sobbed. “No, Ben.” ___

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_“You are! They'll dissect me! You! I didn't want to, Madi! They made me! I had to! They were going to kill me! You! You're with them! I won't go! You're one of them!” ___

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_“Ben-!” He raised his knife plunged it downward. ___

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***

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Her screams ripped through the manor. 

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Damian was the only one in earshot. Everyone else was down in the cave. He burst into the library, ready to fight whoever was foolish enough to attack his family. 

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The room was empty, save for Grayson's girlfriend curled up in an oversized chair, thrashing in sleep. She screamed again. He picked up his communicator.

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“Grayson.”

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“Damian?”

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“You need to get up here.”

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Her screams were deafening. “Damian, is that-?” 

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“Now. Library.”

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Dick practically flew up from the cave. He didn't notice at the time, but the others followed him. He had her screams through the communicator. He didn't think her capable of making that sound. 

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When Dick finally reached the library, Damian was attempting to comfort her hysterical cries. He rushed over to her. “What happened?”

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“I don't know. I heard screaming and came in here. I think she had a nightmare,” said Damian, his eyes were wide.

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Dick scooped her up and held her tightly. “It's okay, Madi. I'm here,” he whispered. She kept sobbing, on the verge of hyperventilating. He finally noticed the room was full. “You guys can go. I can handle this.”

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Alfred drew up a syringe and set it on a nearby table. “In case, you need it. Just a mild sedative to help her calm down.”

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“Thanks, Alfred.” The butler and his brothers turned to leave. “And thanks, Damian.”

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The younger boy shrugged as he walked away. Before he left, he cast one last worried glance at her. Bruce remained.

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“Dick, do you need anything?” he asked.

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Dick's eyes narrowed, and he held her tighter, instinctively protective. “This is your fault,” he hissed. “I warned you. Just go, Bruce. Leave us alone.”

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Bruce wanted to say something. He wanted to do something. So he did what he'd been asked, he left.

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Alone, Dick began whisper to her and stroke her hair. Inside, he fumed; at Bruce but also himself. He wanted to punch something. _Being angry, won't help her right now. _Trying to push away his own dark thoughts, he focused on calming her down.__

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Madi didn't know how long he had been holding her. She became aware of his heartbeat first, so strong and steady. Then his arms wrapped firmly around her providing a sense of security. Finally, his soft voice telling her how much he loved her, and everything would be okay. She took a deep breath. He sensed that she had come back to him and pulled away enough to look down at her. He wiped away what was left of her tears with his thumb.

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She opened her mouth to speak. “Shh,” he said. “We'll talk later. Just rest.” He stood up and carried her back to his bedroom. As he lay her down on the bed, she refused to let go of him. “I'm not going anywhere.”

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True to his word, he slid in next to her and nestled her in the crook of his arm. She was tired and her eyelids heavy. Dick quietly hummed a song he knew she liked, lolling her back to sleep. She placed a hand on his chest and could feel his heartbeat against her fingertips.

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He looked down at Madi, finally relaxed and quiet; it had taken over an hour for her to stop crying. Her body had all but collapsed against his, exhausted from the stress. He felt her hand move across his chest and settle on his heart, feeling it's rhythm, as if she needed assurance he was alive. He kissed the top of her head and let himself fall asleep too.

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***

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They woke up with the sunlight peeking in through the curtains. She hadn't moved all night. Every time he had shifted, she had clung to him like he might disappear.

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Madi slowly sat up and looked down at him. He was still fully clothed; so was she. And she didn't recall leaving the library.

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Then she remembered. The memory. The nightmare. 

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She lay her head back down. He held her until she was ready.

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“I'm sorry, Dick.”

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“What are you sorry for, Madi?” He brushed her hair away.

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“I feel like I must've done something.”

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“You accomplished what few others have,” he said. “You scared Damian.”

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She sat up again. “How?”

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“He found you screaming in your sleep. I heard it through my comm. That sound, Madi. I've heard a lot things, but I've never heard a scream like that. When I got there, you were awake but hysterical.”

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“So, despite all his training, Damian’s weakness is the same as every other man’s? A crying woman?”

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Dick gave a halfhearted laugh at her attempted joke. “I guess so.”

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She hugged her knees. “I can still remember everything. The smell in the house. The clothes they were wearing. The song that was playing as I drove down our street. Everything. That dream was so real. It felt like it was happening all over again.”

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“I know. I had nightmares for years afterwards. Sometimes, when it's too quiet, I swear I can hear the sound of when they hit the ground. I think it's partly why I'm always moving or talking. To avoid the quiet.”

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She frowned at him. “Dick, you don't want to marry me. I'm too screwed up.”

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He pulled her back over to him. “No, I'm exactly you should marry, Madi. I get it. I'm not scared of it. It's why you fit perfectly around here. This is the one place you can wake screaming, and everyone will get it. Everyone here cares about you. They all came running when Damian called. You're part of this family now. It would break their hearts if you left... It would break mine.” He kissed her head. “I'm so sorry I let Bruce question you. I knew it bring things up for you.”

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She twisted around and looked up at him. “Don't blame Bruce, this wasn't his fault. It was everything that's happened recently." Her fingers traced over his shirt, where she knew his sutures were, and brushed over the healing cut under his jaw. "I watched. I saw the fight."

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Dick swore. He remembered she made a comment during their fight, but he hadn't paid much attention to it. _I am really a screw up. _"Madi, my god, you saw everything?"__

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She nodded. "It was awful." Her eyes watered at the memory. "I can't lose someone else, Dick. I'm not strong enough. I can't lose _you. _"__

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He held her tighter. "I'm still here, and I don't plan on going anywhere. My family, my friends, we protect eachother. We keep eachother safe. They came for us last time, and they will again when we need them. It'll be okay." She nodded against his chest. "But you, Madi, I don't want you involved more than you have to be. I hate what Bruce asked of you."

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“I know, and I didn't particularly enjoy it myself. But I know how hard you all have been working at trying to catch these people. Whoever this is, came after you. I want them stopped before they hurt someone else. If there's even a chance, that I can help, I'm going to."

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“Well, I don't have to like it.”

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“No, but if Bruce is right, and Philip is involved, that's even more of a reason for me. He's a not a good person, Dick. I should have said something back then, but I couldn't. What he's done now..."

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Dick lifted her chin up so he could look her in the eye. "Is _not _your fault, Madi. Whatever he did to you or he's done now, _none of it _is on you. Do you understand me?"____

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She nodded again. "But if I can help, I want to do it. I need to do it."

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Bruce was there when they walked into the kitchen. Dick narrowed his eyes and the anger from last night returned. _Has he been waiting for us? ___

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“Good morning, Madi. How are you feeling?” Bruce asked.

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She blushed slightly. “I'm sorry for the drama last night.”

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He waved his hand dismissively. “Don't apologize. No one here is a stranger to nightmares.”

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“How’s Damian? I didn't scar him too much, did I?”

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Bruce smiled. “He's fine.”

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“Would either of you care for some breakfast?” Alfred interjected, noticing Dick's glare and the clenched fists hanging at his sides.

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“I'm just going to grab some cereal, Alfred,” Dick said, making an effort to relax. It had barely been four months since he and Bruce had resumed speaking. He didn't want to ruin it. 

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“Thanks, but I don't have much of an appetite right now,” Madi said.

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There was an awkward silence while no one spoke and no one moved. Finally, Alfred broke it by leaving the room. He remained within earshot, so he could break up the two stubborn men if things became too heated. He was aware of the subject for Master Bruce's intended conversation. It could go south rather quickly.

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“We need to talk,” Bruce said. 

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He was looking at Dick and not at her. Madi felt Dick stiffen again next to her, readying himself for the fight. Madi looked from one to the other. She didn't want to be caught in the middle of what looked to be another pissing match; she didn't have the energy for it. She retreated out the door that led to the backyard. 

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The morning sun felt good on her skin. The spring was morphing into summer, but it wasn't uncomfortably hot yet. She sat down in one of the patio chairs overlooking the lawn. She could hear Dick and Bruce's muffled voices. They were angry, but not yelling. Yet. She closed her eyes.

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After a few minutes, she felt a shadow fall over her followed by the sound of someone sitting in a chair next to her. 

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“Hi, Jason,” she said without opening her eyes.

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“Either I'm losing my touch, or you've been hanging out with us Bat types too much,” he responded.

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She glanced over at him. “Shadow was too big to be Tim or Damian. Alfred would have announced himself. And I know where Bruce and Dick are.”

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He smirked at her. “Way too much.”

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“What are you in for? Bruce summon you too?”

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Jason had been at the manor for the last several hours. He'd come to share to some new information with Bruce and catch up with Alfred over breakfast. Really, he'd come more for Alfred; the info he could've delivered via Bat-message. Given the tension in the house, he'd almost wished he would have. There was yelling in the kitchen now.

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After breakfast with Alfred, he'd retreated to his old hideaway on the roof. He would go there to smoke when he was younger, a habit he'd finally kicked a year ago. He'd done it just to prove he could, even if was as much to himself as everyone else. He still had the urge to reach for a cigarette sometimes, especially after a nightmare, but he was determined to not start up again.

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He'd dozed off up there and stayed longer than he'd intended. On his way down, Jason had seen Madi come out off the manor and curl up in a chair. He liked Dick’s girlfriend. At first, he'd thought she was too nice for this messed up family, but the girl had moxie.

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“Actually, no. I had intel for B, which he seems to be sharing with your lover boy at the moment.” To punctuate his statement, Bruce's voice could be heard even louder followed by Dick's to match.

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Madi cringed. “Yeah.”

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Jason leaned forward. “Don't worry too much about it. It's how they are.”

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“That's what Alfred said.”

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“The problem is Golden Boy has a tendency to blame himself for everything, and Bruce tries to control everything.”

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She sighed. “I just feel bad. It seems like they're fighting because of me.”

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“No. Those two will fight no matter what. They're like an old married couple. You? You're just the latest wrinkle. Next year, it'll be something else.”

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Madi scoffed. “Thanks. That makes me feel much better,” she said drily.

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Jason eyed her. “How are you though? Word on the street is you caused quite a commotion last night.”

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Madi face palmed. “Does _everyone _know about that? Who else knows? Is there like a memo that went out to the Bat family saying, ‘Watch out! Dick’s fiancé had a meltdown last night’?”__

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Jason raised his eyebrows. “I swear, I'm the last person to be told anything. Fiancé now?”

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Madi bit her lip. “Yeah.”

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He looked down at her hand. “No rock? Dickiebird go cheap on you?”

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She shook her head. “No, it's a new development. It wasn't really planned out.”

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“Well, congratulations. And my condolences.” Madi rolled her eyes. “In all seriousness, are you okay?”

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“I'm fine. It was just a bad dream,” she answered sharply.

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They sat in silence for a while, staring out over the lawn. Occasionally, the quiet would be broken by the sound of Bruce’s or Dick’s voice coming from the house. 

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“I still have nightmares,” Jason said without looking at her. “I don't sleep much because of them. So I get it.” 

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She considered what she knew about Jason. _He would understand. _Dick had told her that he rarely spoke about about what he had been through, so this small offering was a big deal. She drew in a breath. “I hadn't had one for awhile. Not since Dick and I have been together.”__

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“It was bound to happen sooner or later. At least now, everyone knows you're crazy.”

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Madi gave an exasperated laugh. “Again, is that supposed to make me feel better?”

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“Hey, I'm the last person to judge. Ask anyone here, and they'll tell you I'm certifiable. Probably am.”

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She smiled. “If we weren't all crazy, we would go insane,” she quoted.

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Jason returned her smile. He was about to say something else when Dick walked outside. His expression was stormy. “Hi, Jason.”

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“What's up, Goldie?” Jason asked. “Lover’s quarrel?” He motioned to the house where he and Bruce had been heard fighting.

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Dick looked defeated. “It's like talking to a brick wall.”

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__"A _pointy-eared _brick wall.” Jason stood up. “Madi, don't let the man get you down. I'll probably see you in the field, Dickwing.” With that he walked back to the house.___ _

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Dick all but collapsed in the newly vacated chair and heaved an exasperated sigh. “That man is infuriating!”

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“What happened now?” she asked.

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“He wants us to go another big society party.”

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Confused, she prodded for more details, “Why is that so bad?”

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“No. As a _mission _. Undercover. _Us _. He thinks this party is a meet for your ex and a buyer.”____

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Now she knew why he was angry. Dick had made it clear he didn't want Madi involved further, and yet Bruce was pushing for more. Not just as a source of information this time, but as an operative in the field.

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“Dick, it'll be fine. I'm sure he wouldn't ask if he wasn't completely sure he could keep me safe. He wouldn't endanger a civilian. Besides, I told you, I want to help if I can.”

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He grunted. “That's what he said. Am I the only one who thinks this is a terrible idea?”

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She went over to his chair and sat on his lap. She touched her forehead to his. “I want to help you," she repeated emphatically. "If that means wearing a fancy dress and mingling with Gotham blue bloods so you can get up close and personal with your current nemesis, then so be it. I trust you.” He grunted. "Who would protect you from all those cougars if you went alone? You need me to watch your backside." 

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He scoffed, and she could feel the anger dissipating from his body. “Fine. I'll tell Bruce we’ll do it.”

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**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I mentioned this earlier, but I'll restate it: the depiction of her family's tragedy is in NO WAY a vilification of schizophrenia. 
> 
> I hesitated to include this very personal bit, but after reading so many other writer's personal notes, I thought it was only fair.
> 
> My own brother suffers from severe schizophrenia. It's been heartbreaking for our family. Sadly, he refuses treatment and can be very violent. I'll admit I've feared for my life and for my family at times. Especially after someone I knew was killed by her own schizophrenic son who had chosen to go off his meds. I know our experience isn't typical. There are many people out there fighting the same battle with much different outcomes. Hopefully happier outcomes.
> 
> I miss my brother.


	19. Can't Feel Much

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Collateral damage aside, the op was a success. Dick sees firsthand what kind of person Madi's former fiancé is.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I laid there quiet, watched you have your way with me  
> I might have cried, but the tears were frozen inside you see  
> You called me names, made me feel like I was dumb  
> I didn't feel a thing, and now I'm gone, gone, gone  
> Like a battered child I got used to your pain  
> But you know it's cuz  
> I was weak before, now you made me so numb  
> I can't feel much for you anymore   
> I gave you my all, my baby  
> I'm numb, numb, numb  
> "Numb" - Alecia Moore

“Are you almost ready? Alfred will be here any minute.” Dick called to her from the living room.

“One second.” Madi’s voice came through the closed door. She had insisted on getting ready in a separate room than him for the gala.

Dick gazed out over the city while he waited; the view from the penthouse at Wayne Tower never disappointed. He was glad they had privacy to get ready instead of dealing with the organized chaos he knew was happening at the manor. Nearly everyone had been called in for this assignment.

_TWO DAYS AGO ___

“She's been through enough, Bruce. Don't ask this of her,” Dick had said that day in the kitchen. “There are things I can't say without breaking her confidence, but he hurt her deeply.”

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“I was able to read between the lines, Dick.”

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“Then _why _would you ask this? It's cruel, Bruce! Even for you.”__

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"We need to operate in the most discrete way possible. Her presence will allow us to get close to him without arousing any suspicion. If he's the kind of man I think he is, he'll come to you. He'll make your job easy."

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"She's not bait to be dangled, Bruce! She's a person! With feelings! She's not a trained operative like the rest of us, able to compartmentalize our emotions to get the job done! Nor do I ever want her to become one!"

"I don't expect her to be. But this is our world, Dick. She will to have to learn to some degree if she's going to live in it. You can't shield her from everything."

"Don't you think I know that?! But _this _, Bruce..."__

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“I understand your reservations, Dick. No one will fault her if she doesn't wish to participate, but it's _her _choice. Philip Cole is her dragon to slay. We do this op regardless, but it will be easier with her.”__

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_PRESENT DAY ___

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“The view is incredible, but I imagine you've seen better. What with your night time habits and all,” her voice said behind him, shaking him out of his thoughts. He turned around. “What do you think?” she asked as she spun around.

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_Wow. _For their first public appearance, she'd chosen a gown that had given her an innocent charm. Tonight, she looked downright sexy in a dress of royal blue silk that skimmed and hugged her body. The neckline was deceivingly demure, because when she turned around, she revealed an open back that dipped dangerously low. Her blonde hair was arranged so that it all fell to one side in soft curls in a style that was a equal parts old Hollywood glam and punk rock. Normally barely there makeup had been replaced by a dark smokey eye reminding him of...__

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“Are you channeling Nightwing with this look?” he teased.

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She joined him at the window. “I thought I might need a little extra strength tonight. Red and blue seemed tacky.”

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He smiled down at her. “It's missing something.”

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She frowned. “What? I remembered my necklace. My cell is in my purse. What did I forget?” Bruce had even arranged for her to borrow some items from an exclusive jeweler for the evening.

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Dick reached into his pocket and pulled out a small box. “I know you said the ring wasn't important to you, but I'm a traditional guy.” He opened the box. It held a simple ring of interlaced white and yellow gold.

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“Dick, it's beautiful.”

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He extracted it from the box so she could take a closer look. “I thought it would be smartest to use something like this, since we want to keep it quiet from the public. That's impossible to do with flashy diamond.” He leaned in and said, "Which _is _coming."__

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“No, it's perfect,” she said as he slipped it onto her finger.

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“So,” he said, “are you ready for this? You can still back out.”

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"No, I'm not backing out." She was still looking down at the ring. “I gave my word. I'm seeing this through.”

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He took her hands in his. “I hate to add to the pressure, but you know the press will be all over you after this, too. One event, we can pretend you're just a friend. Two, and it sends them into a feeding frenzy. It's a miracle they've left us alone this much.”

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She looked up and kissed him. “Just lead the way.”

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“Master Richard? I'm downstairs.” Alfred's voice came through Dick's hidden ear comm.

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“Ok, Alfie. We'll be right down.”

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“Dick Grayson! Be still my heart. Hell must have frozen over. You've graced Gotham society with your presence twice now this year. To what do we owe your return to the social scene?”

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Dick and Madi had just made it inside past the photographers. Her vision was still clearing from the flashbulbs when they were affronted by Vicki Vale.

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Unfazed, Dick offered her one of his dazzling smiles. “I'm always willing to support a noble cause, and it gives me a chance to spend quality time with my family. Everyone is so busy nowadays, we grab it where we can.”

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“It was rumored that your absence last year at the New Year's Ball was due to a falling out with your father. Have you two made amends?”

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Dick laughed and gave Vicki no sign to truth of her question. “Vicki, you of all people should know better than to listen to rumors.”

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Undeterred, Vicki pressed on, "Rumors, like you're moving back to Gotham? Is your self-imposed exile in Bludhaven finally over? I know plenty of people are dying to have you back."

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He smiled again. "No, this is just an extended visit. I'm still very happy there."

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Madi was impressed with how well he'd deflected her questions. _Thank goodness she's ignoring me so far. ___

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“And I don't think we've met officially. You're new to the scene here in Gotham, aren't you? But this isn't your first outing with Mr. Grayson.”

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_Darn. _“Yes, I accompanied Mr. Grayson to the Youth Centre event.”__

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Vicki eyed the two of them like she smelled blood. “Are you what's keeping him happy?Should we expect to be seeing a lot more of you two together?” _Feeding frenzy is right. ___

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Dick started to reply, but Madi put a hand on his chest to stop him. There was a mischievous glint in her eye. “I certainly strive to keep a smile on his face, and Mr. Grayson _is _a favorite of mine. It's always a pleasure to accompany him when he requests my services. Now if you'll excuse us, I do charge by the hour, and we have a party to get to.” She guided him toward the hall, leaving the reporter slightly dumbfounded.__

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Dick stared at her with his jaw dropped as they walked off. “I can't believe you just said that. You _do _know who that was, don't you?”__

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“Vicki Vale.”

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“She's been a thorn in our sides for years trying to prove our extracurricular activities. She's going to have a field day with that.”

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“Dick, relax.”

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“Yeah, Dickwing. Relax. Drink some champagne.” Jason appeared behind them dressed as one of the servers, holding a tray of champagne flutes. Madi took the offered beverage and handed one to Dick. “What's got his tights in a twist?”

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“Madi just told _Vicki Vale _she was a paid escort.”__

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Jason snorted with laughter, nearly dropping the tray he was holding. “Oh, that's good.”

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“Dick, she can't print it without ruining her credibility.”

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“She's right,” Jason agreed.

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“Dick, are you here?” Tim’s voice came in over their comms.

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“He's here with me, Tim. I'm sending him your way,” Jason answered. “Better get a move on. Red’s getting impatient.” Jason left to serve drinks to other guests as he watched the front entrance.

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Dick and Madi threaded their way through the crowd, greeting people as they went. Occasionally, Dick would say something under his breath, and she knew he was talking to someone on the comm link. She hadn't been given one because there were people connected that she didn't know; identities that still needed protecting. Finally, they arrived at their table.

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“Took you long enough,” Tim huffed.

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“Sorry, we got cornered by Vicki,” Dick apologized.

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Madi noticed a young woman seated next to Tim wearing a purple gown. She was smiling at her. Madi smiled back shyly.

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“Tim, stop being rude. Aren't you going to introduce me?” she said.

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Tim looked at her flustered. “Oh, yeah. Stephanie, this is Madi Wood. Madi, this is my girlfriend, Stephanie Brown.”

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The surprise must have been obvious on her face because Stephanie responded, “I know, you're thinking, ‘Between Wayne Enterprises and his business in New York, how does this guy have time for a girlfriend?’ Well, I'm in college right now so that keeps me pretty occupied. Plus he's _very _lucky because I'm _very _understanding.” To punctuate her sentence she grabbed his chin and kissed him on the cheek. Tim turned red at her display of affection but didn't complain.____

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Madi liked Stephanie immediately. “Have you declared a major yet?”

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“I'm interested in psychology, forensic psychology specifically. But I haven't decided for certain yet. There's a few other things I'm considering. Tim says your a PT?”

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“I am.”

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“That's cool. I'll bet Bruce will put you on the payroll before too long. These boys of his like to play rough.”

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Madi smiled. “So I've heard.”

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Stephanie leaned in and lowered her voice. “Have you set a date yet?”

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“Steph!” Tim said.

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“What? You didn't tell me I couldn't say anything.”

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Tim looked at Dick with wide, apologetic eyes. Barbara was working this op as well. Tim bet a million to one that Dick hadn't told her yet. Dick for his part kept a poker face.

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“No, Steph,” he answered quietly. “We haven't. It's new. Not everyone knows.”

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“Enough gossiping. Does anyone have eyes on the target?” Damian asked. He was back in the cave on monitor duty. He had been relieved he didn't have to go to the party and endure the sycophants, but he did miss participating in the action.

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“Hasn't passed my way,” Jason said.

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“We haven't seen him here either,” answered Luke. He and Barbara were mingling on the other end of the hall.

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“Are you sure your intel was reliable, Todd?” asked Damian.

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“Look, Demon Spawn, it was better than anything you guys have come up with. Maybe the guy prefers to arrive late. The night is still young,” Jason retorted.

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“His wife did just have a baby not long ago. Makes sense he would arrive a bit late,” Barbara added.

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“Wait... I have eyes on him. He's heading into the hall now. BG and Foxy do you see him?”

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“We see him,“ said Luke. 

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Dick leaned over and whispered to Madi that their target had arrived. Tim had hacked the table assignments so Cole would assigned a table close to theirs; where he would undoubtedly see Madi with her new man and be enticed to engage her again. In the meantime, Jason, Barbara, and Luke watched him until he arrived at his table.

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Jason had uncovered the plan for the exchange, but not who the buyer was. Cole was their only lead. If they lost him, and the meet took place without their surveillance, they would be back to square one.

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“He's moving towards his table,” Barbara said.

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“I see him,” Dick said quietly. Philip Cole was navigating the room slowly; greeting people and making small talk. As expected, he was alone. His wife was at home caring for their newborn. He sat down at his table just as the evening’s speeches were beginning. They'd made certain that Madi and Dick were sitting right in his eyeline. 

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“Commence Operation Suckface,” Jason said. “Start necking with your girl, Dick. Get that jerk’s attention.”

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“That would demean our operation. PDA is inappropriate,” stated Damian.

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“I can't wait until he gets a girlfriend,” said Stephanie, quietly to Tim.

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“I heard that,” replied Damian. “And I will continue to behave with the utmost decorum and professionalism. I will not allow something so trivial as my personal relationship to effect my work ethic. Unlike _some people _who confuse patrol with foreplay.”__

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Stephanie choked on the water she was drinking, and Tim turned bright red.

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“There should be significantly less chatter over the comms. We are here on assignment, need I remind you,” Bruce's voice sounded over the feed.

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“Yes, Father.”

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A moment later Bruce showed up at their table. “Sorry I'm late. I was unavoidably detained,” he said.

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“Anything big?” Tim asked.

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“Just a small fire to put out. It's been handled.”

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Madi smiled at Dick. Knowing their secret, it was easy to read between the lines. Dick nuzzled her neck. “How about we get busy getting the ex’s attention?” he said softly in her ear. 

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“Remember you're on assignment, Grayson. Keep it respectful,” Damian reminded him.

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“Oh, lighten up, Bat Jr,” came Jason's reply.

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Bruce cleared his throat. The comms went silent throughout the dinner and speeches. Dick and Madi passed the time stealing kisses and occasionally whispering in each other’s ear. Madi had no doubt that they were giving the tabloids plenty of material in addition to their canoodling’s purpose. 

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After the plates had been cleared, the band started to play and people started drifting to the dance floor. Tim and Stephanie excused themselves to survey the room, watching for signs of the mystery contact Cole was supposed to meet. Bruce excused himself to mingle, leaving them alone at the table. Madi and Dick sat talking with their foreheads touching, very much the picture of a couple in love; and irresistible bait to the egocentric Philip Cole. 

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“Hello, Madilyn.”

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Madi glanced at him. “Oh, hello, Philip.” She turned her attention back to Dick. She knew that ignoring him would only make him more insistent. He was not the type to be disregarded.

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“I didn't expect to see you at one of these things,” he persisted.

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“Why not?” Dick asked him. “I'm certainly not going to come alone.”

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Philip smiled. “I'm sure a guy like you has no trouble getting dates.”

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Dick smiled back. “I don't. But I didn't need a date. I'm with Madi.”

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Dick saw his eyes flick over the two of them and rest for a microsecond on her ring. A cocky smile spread across Philip's mouth as sat down in the vacated chair without an invitation. “So, Richard, I met your... you know, I'm sorry, what do you call him? He's not really your guardian anymore seeing as you're an adult now.”

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Dick maintained his easy smile. “I call him Bruce. And he did adopt me, so legally that makes him my father.”

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Philip’s eyes appraised Dick with this new information. Dick’s adoption had been in his adulthood, and the news hadn't made the media circuit.

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“Well, in any case, I had a meeting with Mr. Wayne last week. He's an interesting man. Not at all the bumbling playboy my father had described.”

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“Raising us kids will do that to you.”

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Philip gave an easy laugh. “Tell me about it. How many of you are there, anyway? It seemed he was taking in a new stray every week for time."

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Madi stiffened at his veiled insult, but Dick squeezed her hand to stop her from responding. He was used to comments like those. "I have two brothers and one sister living, and another brother that passed away."

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He faked sympathy. "That was a tragedy. I remember the scandal. I'm glad it didn't stop Mr. Wayne from continuing to reach out to those other poor children."

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"So, am I. I love my family." Dick was getting aggravated. Philip had sat out of his reach, making it impossible to place the tracking device from his current position. The way the conversation was going it would be difficult to maneuver closer.

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“How is Samantha?” Madi interjected, desperate to change the subject.

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“She's at home with our newest addition, another little boy. She was willing to come out tonight, but I told her to stay home and rest. No need for her to suffer through schmoozing with the bigwigs tonight.”

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“How thoughtful of you,” she said.

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“Is that why you're here, Phil? To schmooze?” Dick asked.

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Philip grimaced slightly at the use of the nickname but recovered quickly. “I won't lie. It's a good opportunity to network. I'm a newcomer here and still have wheels to grease. If I can do that and support a worthy cause, why not?”

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“So, why Gotham, Philip?” Madi asked.

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Philip smiled knowingly. “It's a land of opportunity. There's plenty of men and women with vision here.”

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“That there is,” Dick agreed, not liking his connotation.

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“Alas, since my wife is at home, my dance card is empty. Madilyn, would you do me the honor? For old times sake?” he asked and extended his hand.

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Madi glanced to Dick, waiting for his instructions. She didn't want to, but if it would get the job done, she'd do it. He nodded his head. “It's okay with me, if you're willing.” He gave Philip a level look and said, “I have nothing to worry about.”

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Madi allowed him to escort her to the dance floor. She had to hide her repulsion as they started to dance. The familiarity of his touch made her skin crawl.

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“Well, you've done well for yourself, haven't you, Madilyn?” he asked casually.

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“I'm happy, if that's what you mean.”

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“I'll bet. Landed yourself a Wayne heir.”

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“I'm not after him for his money, Philip.”

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“I never said you were," he said innocently. "Although the coincidence is incredible, don't you think? You went from one trust fund brat to another.” There was a few beats of silence before he spoke again. “I can see why you get on with him though.”

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“Oh, why’s that?” _Hold it together. You can do this. ___

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“You have a lot in common," he began. "The whole acrobat thing. You've both lost people you love. And...," he twirled her out then pulled her in again, "he doesn't belong here either. Take away the designer tux and the appropriated name, he's just a gypsy boy.”

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It took all her self control not to punch him. “He's twice the man you are.”

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Philip chuckled and leered at her. “I'll bet you know from experience, don't you? I figured you wouldn't make him wait for it. You've turned into such a little slut, Madilyn.” Madi tried to break away from him, but his grip on her hardened. He pressed her against him, and the hand on her back moved lower. “I still think about you sometimes,” he murmured into her ear.

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Before he could go further, Dick appeared and put a firm hand on his shoulder. “I think it's time for me to cut in.” Dick stared him down, almost asking him to pick a fight.

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“You know, I agree,” Philip said with an arrogant smile as he stepped away. “There's still quite a few people I need to speak with tonight. Enjoy the rest of the party.” He retreated into the crowd.

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Dick could feel her trembling in his arms. “I've got you,” he whispered into her ear. 

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Her breathing was shaky. “You got the tracker on him?”

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“I did. Our part is over. We can go now.” She nodded and rested her head on his shoulder as they continued to sway to the music. Dick was livid. He'd seen her face go white seconds before he'd reached them. Even though he'd been watching closely, he couldn't make in time to stop him from accosting her. Dick hadn't expected him to have the nerve to do something like that right in front of him, let alone in a room full of people. It made him see red. “Alfred can you bring the car around? We’re ready to go,” Dick said into his comm.

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“I'll be waiting out front.”

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She was silent on the ride back to Wayne Tower, only uttering a quiet, “Goodnight, Alfred,” as they got out of the car. 

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Once inside the building, Dick lifted her in his arms and carried her until they reached the bedroom. When he set her down, she went straight into the bathroom and turned on the shower. Dick sat on the bed and yanked off his tie. He listened for sounds of tears and felt some relief when he heard none.

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She was still in the shower when he got the message. EXCHANGE COMPLETE. DEBRIEFING AT 0200. 

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He poked his head into the bathroom. From the amount of steam, he could tell the water was hot. Too hot. Through the fogged glass he could see her aggressively scrubbing at her skin. 

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“Madi, I-”

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“I'm fine, Dick,” she said curtly. “I'll be out in a minute.”

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When she'd emerged, her skin was red from being scrubbed almost raw. She snuggled against him under the covers. They were both quiet. She didn't want to talk, and he didn't know what to say.

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Carefully, she nestled in closer, threading one of her legs over and around his. Her fingers traced abstract patterns on his chest. After a minute of waiting for him to respond to her discreet overtures, she moved onto less subtle hints. She pressed her lips along his neck and nibbled at his ear. The hand on his chest slowly dropped lower.

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He knew what she wanted. She was seeking comfort or a distraction or both. But he couldn't; it didn't feel right. _I failed her tonight. _He caught her hand and kissed her forehead.__

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“Let's just go to sleep, okay?”

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***

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Dick waited until she was sound asleep before he left. It had taken longer than normal before her breathing changed, and he knew for sure she wouldn't wake up when he moved.

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He hated to leave her. _What if she has another nightmare, and I'm not there? _But he had to get out. He felt sick. This was his fault. Against his better judgment, he'd allowed her to be a pawn in their games. He hated himself. His chest was going to explode with the rage boiling up inside of him.__

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He sped down the twisting roads and pulled into the Batcave. Everyone from the mission was there debriefing. But he didn't care. Dick only had one thing on his mind.

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He stalked up to Bruce who was sitting in his chair in front of the computer, the others flanking him. Bruce had calmly turned around when he’d heard Dick's bike enter the cave. 

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He probably saw it in Dick's face the moment he took his helmet off. To Bruce's credit, he didn't react even though he knew what was coming. The silence in the cave was shattered by the sound of Dick's fist connecting with Bruce's jaw and the gasps of the onlookers. The two men said nothing to each other; the conversation taking place in the look between them.

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Dick turned around and walked back to his bike. He could hear Bruce started talking again as if nothing had happened as he started the engine to return home.

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	20. The Smoke Clears

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It was a rough night, but when Dick woke up this morning, he certainly didn't expect this.
> 
> Warning for some gratuitous fluff. Forgive me. After all the angst, it was needed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As the smoke clears, I awaken  
> And untangle you from me  
> Would it make you feel better  
> To watch me while I bleed?  
> All my windows are still broken   
> But I'm standing on my feet  
> You can take everything I have  
> You can break everything I am  
> Like I'm made of glass   
> Like I'm made of paper   
> Go on and try to tear me down  
> I will be rising from the ground   
> Like a skyscraper, like a skyscraper   
> "Skyscraper" - Toby Gad, Lindy Robbins, and Kerli Kõiv

“So, seriously, Dickiebird, what were you thinking?!”

Dick had awoken to find Jason in his kitchen making pancakes. After punching Bruce, he'd come home and crashed, ignoring the flood of calls and texts he was receiving from the family.

“What are you doing in my kitchen? How did you get in here?”

“Don't get me wrong, punching Bruce is a dream of mine, but you? You're usually the voice of reason,” Jason continued, pretending that Dick hadn't questioned his presence there.

“Ooh, pancakes!” Madi said as she walked into the kitchen. “Good morning, Jason.”

“There's hot water in the kettle for you. Alfred said you're more of a tea person than coffee drinker,” Jason greeted Madi.

She walked over and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek. “You're the best.” She prepared her cup of tea and sat down next to Dick.

_I've woken up in an alternate reality where I live in a weird Three's Company scenario. _Jason raised his eyebrows and pointed to his cheek to tease Dick about the greeting he'd received from his fiancé.__

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“Okay! Am I the _only one _weirded out by the fact that Jason is here? I didn't let him in! He broke in!” Dick exclaimed.__

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“Considering how many times I've been _walked in on _by your family, I'm just glad I didn't wake up to find him in our bed,” Madi said. “At least he's making breakfast.”__

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“Be glad you weren't around when the little birds were younger,” Jason said as he flipped a pancake. “Sometimes when they couldn't sleep they'd go to big bird for comfort. He was the mother hen of the group. And to answer you're question, Dick, who do you think helped Tim install the latest round of security measures?”

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Madi took a sip of her tea. “Well, not that I don't love waking up to pancakes, but why _are _you here? Did something happen after we left?”__

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“I'll say,” Jason said as he brought over the platter of hot pancakes to the table.

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“What? Is anyone hurt?” Madi asked.

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“Do you want to tell her or me?” Jason asked his brother.

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Dick stood up to get himself coffee. “Be my guest,” he said with a dismissive wave of his hand.

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“Your boy here hauled off and socked Batman in the jaw.”

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“You did what?!” she screeched.

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Dick took a sip of his coffee. “He had it coming,” he answered dispassionately.

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“A moot point. We all have reasons to want to knock the cowl off the guy, but this is the second time in less than a year. I'm getting jealous. None of us can get away with that.”

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“To be fair, last time, he threw the first punch. Also, not true. Steph slapped Bruce once.”

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Madi rubbed her temples. “What happened?”

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“We were having a debriefing in the cave. In comes Goldie, walks straight over to Bruce, and wham! Turns around and leaves without saying a word. Bruce didn't even acknowledge it. He just continued the meeting like nothing happened,” Jason told her in between bites of pancake. “I'm telling you, he just lived my fantasy.”

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Madi stared at Dick with a look of disbelief. He drank his coffee, contemplating how to explain it to her, and wondering, if Jason technically _was _a zombie, if killing him would break the rules.__

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“I was angry,” he shrugged.

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“So you _punched _him?” she asked.__

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“He should have never asked you to do what you did last night. I should have never agreed either.”

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Madi felt bile start to rise in her throat. She ran from the table to the nearest bathroom. She barely made it before her stomach started heaving.

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“Well, that was unexpected,” Jason said to Dick. They stood outside the door looking at each other dumbfounded. 

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Dick winced at the sound of her retching. “I think it's stress,” he whispered and lightly hit his head against the wall. “That guy was nasty to her last night and now this.”

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Jason knocked quietly in the door. “Madi, if you want I can shoot him.”

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“Which one?” she asked from the other side of the door.

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Jason grinned gleefully. “Either. Or both.”

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Dick rolled his eyes. “You're not shooting _anybody _, Jason. Least of all, me.”__

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“What if I use rubber bullets?”

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“No.”

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Madi opened the door and placed a hand on Dick’s chest. She emphasized certain words with a firm push. “ _You _are going to go _back there _. You are going to _fix this _. You do _not _just _hit people _because you are _mad _at them. _You _are _better _than that.” She kept pushing until he fell backwards into the sofa. “I just can't even deal with this right now,” she muttered to herself as she walked away from him.________________

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“Madi-” Dick protested.

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“Nope,” she cut him off and pointed to the door. “Go.”

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She walked back into the bedroom and closed the door. Dick sat up and raked his hands through his hair in frustration. “I don't want her left alone, Jay. Not after last night.”

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“I'll stay until you get back. It's no problem.” Jason smiled wickedly. “Since you don't qualify for the Dead Robins Club, maybe we could start an ‘I Punched Batman’ Club?”

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Dick decided to enter through the manor instead of going directly into the cave.

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“I'm surprised to see you here, Master Richard,” Alfred said when he encountered him in front of the grandfather clock. There was a hint of admonishment in his voice.

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“Hi, Alfred.” He hung his head. Alfred rarely lectured, but when he did, his pointed reproofs cut deep. Dick really couldn't handle one right now, “I had some unfinished business to take of in the cave. Is Bruce down there?”

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Alfred perceived that Dick had come with peaceful intent. “He is. Will you be requiring assistance? A neutral third party, perhaps?”

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Dick looked back up. “No.”

___________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“Very well. Do try to keep your hands to yourself today.”

___________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

He found Bruce still in front of the computer with his cowl pulled back. Dick could make out the bruise on his jaw forming.

___________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“Hello, Dick,” Bruce said without looking at him. “You missed the debriefing last night, but that's understandable. Things-”

___________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“Bruce-”

___________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“Things went unexpectedly on your end, although you were able to successfully place the tracking device on him. That lead to a successful outcome for the rest of the team.”

___________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“Bruce, I’m-”

___________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“How is Madi?”

___________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“She's been better. Right now, she's furious with me on top of everything else. She kicked me out until I spoke to you.”

___________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

The corners of Bruce's mouth twitched. “The mission report is lacking your statement. Care to fill me in now?”

___________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Dick took a deep breath before starting to gather his thoughts. “We arrived and proceeded with SOP for all social functions. We encountered Vicki Vale, who of course wanted info about our relationship. Madi deflected her questions by saying she was a paid escort.” Bruce raised his eyebrows but said nothing. “We briefly spoke with Hood before proceeding to our table without further incident where Red Robin and Spoiler were already in position. The target Phillip Cole arrived shortly before the speeches began as confirmed by Hood and went directly to his table, stopping only to make small talk on the way. Batgirl and Batwing had visual on him until we did. Once, dinner was over the target came over to engage Madi as predicted, but I couldn't place the tracker on him. Then he asked her to dance. I viewed this as an opportunity to place the device when I would cut in. Also, if the target himself was being surveilled by his contact then no suspicion would arise. However, I underestimated just how disgusting of a creature he is, and I didn't get to her fast enough to stop him from... touching her. I broke in, placed the tracker, and we left.”

___________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“Cole met with Vitor Prado and gave him a flash drive. He told him he had forty-eight hours to make his selection, and then the drive would erase itself. Batgirl and Batwing followed Prado and are continuing to surveil him.”

___________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“And Cole?”

___________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_________________“Went home. Red Robin and Spoiler followed him.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

___________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“And me? What's my next assignment?”

___________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“Go home. Get out of my cave until you have a clear head.”

___________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Dick's first inclination was to argue, but he knew Bruce was right. He'd had one job last night; put the tracker on Cole. Madi was simply to have been a lure to make him come to them. What had happened was on him.

_________________***_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Dick could hear the sound of raucous laughter even before the elevator doors opened onto the penthouse floor. _What on earth? ___

_____________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“You're totally cheating! That was a hit!”

_____________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“It's a boat; they drift! I'm just mimicking real life!”

_____________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“You're moving your pieces! That's cheating! Now drop anchor and take the shot, Jay!”

_____________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“What is going on in here?” Dick asked.

_____________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Madi and Jason were sprawled out on the floor with Battleship set up between them. There was also an open bottle of whiskey that was half empty.

_____________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Jason picked up the bottle and took a swig. He wiped his mouth and said, “Your girl wants to sink my battleship, but I'm about to nail her instead.” He turned back to Madi, “C12.”

_____________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

She made a sound like an explosion and grabbed the bottle from him. She took a shot straight from the bottle.

_____________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Dick looked at them in disbelief. “Are you... Are you both drunk?” Jason and Madi looked at Dick's horrified expression and started laughing. _I don't believe this. _He collapsed onto the sofa in defeat. “Who's idea was this?”__

_______________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

They pointed at each other. Dick sighed. _At least it's not tequila this time. ___

_________________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“He said, ‘Let's have a drink,’” Madi said.

_________________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“She said, ‘Let's play a game,’” Jason rebutted.

_________________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“So, you've been playing drinking games since I left?”

_________________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Madi got up off the floor and sat in Dick's lap. “Don't be mad. Jaybird was just trying to take my mind off things." _Did she just call him Jaybird? _"Oh, I got it! Ever play two truths and a lie, Hood?” Madi said.__

___________________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“Sounds promising, Wood,” Jason quipped at her. "You go first."

___________________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Dick groaned. _How is this happening? ___

_____________________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Madi snorted in laughter before she spoke. “One, My freshman year, I glued all the drawers of one of my professor’s desks shut as a dare. Two, I’ve done the No Pants Subway Ride in New York. Or three, when I was in high school, me and two of my teammates once streaked at a gymnastics meet. Now which is the lie?”

_____________________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“I want the streaking thing to be true so bad, but I'm going to say that's the lie.”

_____________________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Madi shook her head and handed the bottle back to him. “Drink up.”

_____________________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Jason stared at her. “No. Really?” He took a drink and turned to Dick, “I think I'm in love.”

_____________________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Dick, too, was shocked at the revelation. He couldn't imagine her streaking, or doing any of those things. _If that one was true, then what was the lie? ___

_______________________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

She saw Dick's astonishment. “I was serious, not a stick in the mud when I was younger. Your turn,” she said to Jason. “Tell me something unexpected.”

_______________________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Jason thought for a minute. “I thought Matthew Macfayden’s Mr. Darcy was better than Colin Firth’s. I let Roy and Kori talk me into making a Dubsmash video once. I think Alfred’s waffles are terrible.”

_______________________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“Phsht. That's too easy. Everyone knows Colin Firth killed it. Hello! Wet shirt scene!” Madi looked over at Dick. “Care to play?”

_______________________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_I can't believe I'm doing this. _“There's no way you made a Dubsmash, Jason.”__

_________________________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Jason smiled archly and handed the bottle to Dick. “Drink up, Dickiebird.”

_________________________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_I am so going to regret this. ___

___________________________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_________________________________***_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

A couple of hours later, all three of them were lying under a blanket fort in the living room. Madi was asleep with her head on Dick’s chest. Jason was flipping through an old photo album they had found.

___________________________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“So, that was an interesting afternoon,” Dick commented.

___________________________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“If you tell anyone about it, I'll kill you,” Jason responded without looking up. "I have a reputation to uphold."

___________________________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“You're secrets are safe with me. Maybe not Roy and Kori, though.”

___________________________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“I swear, Dick, if that video surfaces there will be hell to pay.”

___________________________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“Hey, man. I owe you for today. I was good to see her laugh like that.”

___________________________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Jason glanced up. “I saw her face when you left last night, and then you showed up and hit B. I knew something must've gone down.”

___________________________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“So, are you two best bff’s now?”

___________________________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“Jealous?” Jason chided. He held up a picture. “I can't believe Damian was ever that short. And Tim. Why didn't Alfred make that kid get a haircut?” 

___________________________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Dick looked at the photo Jason was holding up. It was from their time living in the penthouse together when Bruce was... lost; when Dick had worn the cape and cowl.

___________________________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“Wow, that feels like forever ago. Things sure were different back then.”

___________________________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Jason made a non-distinct grunt. He'd been estranged from the family at that time. Most of his violent and homicidal actions against them had been blamed on after effects of the Lazarus pit. His own memories from those years were foggy. Even though he'd been forgiven many times over, he still felt deep guilt. Avoidance was easier than dealing those feelings.

___________________________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“She doesn't seem to care what I did,” Jason mused, “that I've tried to hurt you all.”

___________________________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“It's in the past, Jason.”

___________________________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“I wasn't going to come that day at your place. I hate all that family togetherness crap.”

___________________________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“I _was _surprised to see you.”__

_____________________________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“I tried to blow her off. I told her if she knew me, she wouldn't want me there. She told me to get over myself and not turn down a home cooked meal.”

_____________________________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“That sounds like her.”

_____________________________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“Today, she was a spitfire. I quite enjoyed watching her put you in your place.”

_____________________________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“I live for your amusement, Jay.”

_____________________________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“She's good for you.”

_____________________________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Dick looked down at her curled up against him. “Yeah,” he said softly. “What about you? Is there anyone special?”

_____________________________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Jason scoffed. “Yeah, right. Love and the Red Hood don't mix.”

_____________________________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“Really, Jaybird? Nobody? Not ever?”

_____________________________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Jason frowned at him. “I tried once. When I was running with Roy and Kori. I met this flight attendant, Isabel. Sweet girl. She put up with a lot before she threw in the towel. I can't say I blame her.” He closed the photo album and looked at Dick. “Some of us aren't meant for happily ever after.”

_____________________________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“Jay-”

_____________________________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“S’ok, Dick. Keeps my life simple.”

_____________________________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Any theories as to the DubSmash that Jason made with Roy and Kori?


	21. Mess You've Made

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Vicki Vale decides to start causing problems for the couple which leads to an uncomfortable confrontation.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wanna hide the truth  
> I wanna shelter you  
> But with the beast inside  
> There’s nowhere we can hide
> 
> So they dug your grave  
> And the masquerade  
> Will come calling out  
> At the mess you've made  
> "Demons" - Imagine Dragons

MARY: SAW U IN THE PAPER AGAIN

MADI: :/

MARY: U LOOKD FAB

MADI: THX

MARY: REPORTER CAME BY ASKING ABOUT U YSTRDY

MADI: NOOOOOOO

MARY: NO WORRIES. LIPS R SEALED

Madi sat in the corner of a cafe waiting for Dick to join her for lunch. He was still on a “conference call” with his “co-workers.” Even though Nightwing had been banned from pounding the pavement, there was still a lot of behind the scenes work to do. The forty-eight hours were up tonight, and the team was scrambling.

D: ON MY WAY. BE THERE IN 5.

“Madilyn Simone Wood. You are a difficult woman to track down.”

Madi glanced up to see Vicki Vale standing in front of her, looking like the cat who just ate the canary. She pulled out a chair and sat down.

“I didn't invite you to sit,” Madi responded.

Vicki pulled a file out of her bag and tossed it on the table. “Born September 4 to Constance and Bruno Wood. Your father taught at the Yale School of Music. Your mother was a homemaker. You were on your way to a gymnastics scholarship until you hurt your shoulder, but you earned one anyway to Columbia based on academia. Impressive. Then you up and leave; moving to Bludhaven of all places to finish your physical therapy doctorate at a no name school. Explain that to me.”

Madi glared at Vicki. “If you're so good, you tell me.”

Vicki shot her an affected look of sympathy. “My sincere condolences regarding your family. Truly. However, imagine my surprise when I found this.” She opened the file to the old engagement announcement. Madi’s stomach knotted. It lurched when Vicki added a photo of her and Philip dancing the other night to the pile. The photographer had caught it right when he'd pulled her close and started to grope her. Madi turned her head away from the picture.

“He had no right to touch her like that.”

Dick had appeared behind Vicki and was looking at the photo in disgust. He slammed the file shut and shoved it back at her as he sat next to Madi.

Vicki feigned surprise at his appearance. “Dick Grayson! What a surprise! Am I intruding on a ‘business meeting?’” she smirked.

“What do you want, Vicki?” he growled.

“I wanted to see if Miss Wood had a statement to go with our story. It's quite scandalous, don't you think? Ex-lovers reuniting after tragic separation. A torrid love triangle between the married business man, one of Gotham's favorite sons, and a mysterious woman. Stories like this sell papers.”

“You've stooped to a new low. You used to actually have some journalistic integrity,” Dick said.

Vicki leaned back and crossed her arms. “Then give me a better story.” She eyed the ring on Madi’s hand. “Are you married? Was there an elopement?”

Dick showed his ringless hand. “No.”

“Well, I think we've more than established you're not an escort.” Vicki slapped down more photos on the table. These were of the two of them. There was one from the night they had dinner in Gotham, and a couple that were shot on the day they moved into the penthouse. Dick tossed them back at her. “Why the secrecy?”

Dick scoffed. “Are you serious, Vicki? It's called a private life for a reason.”

Vicki stored the file and photographs back in her bag, “Give me something to work with. You owe me.” 

They stared eachother down. “Fine,” Dick said. He lowered his voice so that only she could hear. “I don't have anything for you right now, but I promise you'll have an exclusive the next time we do. If you promise to kill any story about her and her ex. Also, you have to promise to leave us alone until then.”

Vicki raised an eyebrow and looked at the ring on Madi's finger again. She stuck out her hand. “Agreed.” Dick shook it. “Just don't make me wait too long. If someone else uncovers what I found and prints it, the deals off. Then I'll have to go digging again and all bets are off. Now, I'll let you two lovebirds enjoy your lunch.”

Dick buried his face in his hands as she walked away. “Was this my fault?” Madi asked quietly. “Because of what I said?”

“No,” he assured her. “She's been a thorn in our flesh for years. Vicki has a talent for making difficult situations impossible. For example, a few years back, Bruce was missing, feared dead even. While we were dealing with that, she decides to start digging into Tim and Red Robin. Tim had to go so far as to _fake a spinal injury _and walk with braces for a year to get her off his back. Once she gets her teeth in something, she won't let it go.”__

____

“And now she's decided to make us her current obsession.”

____

“Unfortunately,” Dick sighed. “I need to let Bruce know about this latest wrinkle.”

____

Dick dialed Bruce's number.

____

“Yes?”

____

“Hey, Bruce. How are you?”

____

“What is it, Dick?”

____

“So, Madi and I just had an interesting conversation with one of your exes. Vicki Vale.”

____

“...”

____

“She's been digging again.”

____

“...”

____

“Found a link between Madi and a certain person. Threatened to publish.”

____

“I told you should have eliminated her back when she was messing with Drake!”

____

“Damian!" Bruce scolded his youngest. "Go finish analyzing those samples!"

____

____

Dick could hear Damian grumbling as he walked away.

____

“Maybe Batman should dangle her off a building. Teach her not to mess with us anymore.”

____

“Jason.” Bruce said warningly.

____

“Good grief, Bruce. Did you have a party and not invite me? Is everyone there?”

____

“Hi, Dick,” said Tim. “You're on speakerphone.”

____

“I gathered.”

____

“I trust you contained the situation?” asked Bruce.

____

“For now,” answered Dick. “But you know how she is. I wanted to give you a heads up that she's at it again.”

____

“I'm not faking any more GSW’s!” said Tim in the background.

____

“What was the price of her silence?”

____

“She wanted a story for a story. I told her she'd get an exclusive next time we had something press worthy.”

____

“...”

____

“The last thing we need is her digging around and possibly compromising our investigation.”

____

“...”

____

“Dick, that won't placate her for long. Were you going to announce your engagement?” asked Tim.

____

“No,” Bruce said. “They'll start attracting too much attention from the media. Every outlet will start digging into her past then.”

____

“So what then? She'll want something personal. WE business won't interest her unless we're solving world hunger.” Tim said. He was still a little bitter about the whole Red Robin thing. It had been a logistical nightmare playing that out.

____

Dick could hear Bruce sigh heavily. Even without seeing him, Dick knew that Bruce had a ‘how is this my life’ expression on his face. “You're going to get married.”

____

Dick glanced at Madi, glad he didn't have the phone on speaker. He didn't like where this was going. “That _is _the general plan.”__

______ _ _

“No, you're going to get married now.” He heard the other boys gasp. “That's your new assignment. I'll inform Alfred to expect your call. Good luck.”

____***_ _ _ _

Three pairs of eyes were staring at Bruce when he ended the call with Dick. Each of them disbelieving the order that had come out of his mouth, but for different reasons. Bruce knew this was going to cause problems as soon as he'd said it, and he really did not want to deal with them right now. Could they please just focus on the task at hand?

______ _ _

Jason broke the silence first. “What the freaking hell, Bruce?”

______ _ _

The volatile son, his calloused hide protecting his true sensitivity. If the issue pierced deep enough he would react with ferocity. Bruce’s eyes glanced in his direction, but he didn't turn away from the computer screen. “Tim, is the spyware running in Prado’s computer?”

______ _ _

Tim recovered from his stupor quickly. “Yes.”

______ _ _

Jason gave Tim a “say something, he's acting crazy” look. Tim shrugged in reply. The focused son, steadfast and unwavering. Tenacious to a fault. He would withhold comment unless he felt compelled to speak.

______ _ _

“Bruce, you can't freaking offer up their freaking wedding like some freaking sacrificial lamb!”

______ _ _

Bruce continued to ignore Jason’s outburst. Tim buried his face in the tablet he was holding. While he had his opinion of the situation, there were more pressing matters at hand.

______ _ _

“Tonight, you are to survey and follow. Do not engage unless the package is in danger,” Bruce continued.

______ _ _

Jason met Damian’s eyes across the cave. He was still staring in shock at his father. Damian shook his head. The divided son. His obligations and loyalties constantly being torn in different directions. Bruce feared one day it would rip the boy in half. If only he knew he didn't have to chose.

______ _ _

“Bruce!”

______ _ _

“Yes, Jason?” he finally responded calmly. “Do you have a question?”

______ _ _

“What gives you the right, Bruce?”

______ _ _

Bruce willed him to drop the subject. Jason crossed his arms and glared back unfazed. He was not going to let Bruce blow him off.

______ _ _

Bruce had several answers for him. Most were a variation of the tune ‘I'm trying to do what's best for my son in this is a complicated situation,’ but decided on, “We have worked too hard for this investigation to fall apart because of Dick’s indiscretions. Sacrifices must be made.”

______ _ _

“As I recall, Father, it was one your ‘indiscretions’ that brought Vale knocking in the first place,” Damian said. “Was it not your tryst with that insipid woman that sparked her obsession with our family?”

______ _ _

“Damian, Jason, you're not seeing the big picture,” spoke up Tim. “If Vale keeps digging into Cole, she could spook him. She's nothing if not good at her job. I could see things going south very quickly. Dick's relationship with Madi is inconsequential compared to getting a weapons dealer slash trafficker off the streets.”

______ _ _

Jason raised his eyebrows in surprise. “That's harsh, Tim. I thought you liked Madi.”

______ _ _

Tim sighed. “It doesn't matter whether I like her or not, which I do. Ultimately, the mission comes first. Especially, if the compromising factor is something as unstable a romantic entanglement with a civilian.”

______ _ _

“Do you kiss Steph with that mouth, Tim? I'm sure she'd love to know the value you place on relationships,” replied Jason.

______ _ _

Tim set his tablet down. “My relationship with Stephanie has nothing to do with this. Not to mention, it's a different thing entirely. Steph is one of us.”

______ _ _

“Meaning what, Drake?” Damian asked.

______ _ _

“Let me ask you this, how many successful relationships involving civilians can you think of? Ones that didn't end badly?”

______ _ _

“The Kents,” Damian immediately named his friend's parents.

______ _ _

Jason thought. He remembered a couple others, but they had all ended in the civilian’s death.

______ _ _

“Any more?” Tim asked. Jason remained silent. “Exactly. I've dated civilians before. Speaking from personal experience, it is next to impossible for these things to work out.”

______ _ _

“Wait a second, Drake,” Damian said, “you're saying that because you were incapable of maintaining a relationship, Grayson’s is doomed to fail. Therefore, he is forfeit to any consideration in regards to it?”

______ _ _

Tim looked exasperated. “This conversation is absurd.”

______ _ _

Jason crossed his arms. “No, Tim. I think this opens a very interesting conversation. Damian is fifteen now. One of these days, he might meet someone. Are you saying that he should only stick to his own kind?”

______ _ _

“Yes! I mean, no! Look, dating a civilian brings all kind of risks to them _and _the family. Someone like Stephanie can take care herself. I don't _have _to worry about her. I do because I love her, but I know she can hold her own. Madi, she'll always be a liability, even if we taught her self defense. So, if you're asking my honest opinion, yes, I think we have no business getting involved with civilians.”____

_________ _ _ _ _ _

“And you, Bruce? Is that what you think?” Jason asked.

_________ _ _ _ _ _

Bruce carefully chose his words before he spoke. This had quickly gone from Jason being upset with him, to the brothers turning on eachother. Tim was simply voicing the opinion that many in their community shared. “Dick is now facing the consequences of his actions. If their relationship cannot survive the realities of our life, it is better to find out sooner rather than later.”

_________ _ _ _ _ _

Jason considered Bruce's words and shook his head in disgust. “You're hoping she won't buy into the impromptu wedding. You're hoping she'll get fed up with all the sacrifices she's making and leave him.”

_________ _ _ _ _ _

“No,” said Bruce. “I want my son to be happy.”

_________ _ _ _ _ _

“Dang it, Bruce! Then stop meddling!”

_________ _ _ _ _ _

“Since when do you care so much, Jason?” asked Tim. “Do you have the hots for Dick’s girl?” he jeered.

_________ _ _ _ _ _

Jason grabbed Tim by the shirt and lifted him off the ground until they were eye to eye. “What did you say?” he growled.

_________ _ _ _ _ _

“Get your hands off me, Jay,” Tim said calmly. “Before I make you.”

_________ _ _ _ _ _

Before Bruce could intervene, Damian stepped in, “Todd! Don't be foolish. Drake isn't worth it,” he said, with a steadying hand on his shoulder.

_________ _ _ _ _ _

Jason glared at Tim as he set him back down. Tim straightened his shirt and glared back. “I think I'm going upstairs for a while. I'll be back for pre-mission briefing.”

_________ _ _ _ _ _

Bruce nodded in dismissal.

_________ _ _ _ _ _

Jason stalked off to the elevator, still furious. He could understand Tim’s position, he didn't even disagree with it. He wasn't angry because he was lusting after his brother’s fiancé, and Tim had called him on it. He was angry because she wasn't that different from any of them. She too knew incredible loss, and she had handled everything that had been thrown at her with a resolve that matched their own. The only difference was she didn't go beating up criminals after sunset.

_________ _ _ _ _ _

But because she didn't wear a mask, she would forever be an outsider. Jason knew what it was like to be an outsider in this family. He at least deserved it. She had done nothing but be kind to all of them. It enraged him to think that she would hold the same status as him. Outsider. Wildcard. Tim had called her a liability. _Pretentious bastard. ___

___________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“Hey, Alfred,” Jason said when he found him. “How about you and me have some tea?”

___________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _


	22. All Your Pieces

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A nighttime visitor prompts a conversation that's been a long time coming between the couple. It's time to show the cards they've been holding close to their chests. Will one of them fold?
> 
> Warning for mention of past abuse and rape.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Can you help me I'm bent?  
> I'm so scared that I'll never   
> Get put back together   
> You're breaking me in  
> And this is how we will end  
> With you and me bent  
> Start bending me  
> It's never enough   
> I feel all your pieces  
> Start bending me  
> Until I'm completely broken in  
> Shouldn't be so complicated   
> Just touch me and then  
> Just touch me again   
> "Bent" - Rob Thomas

Madi woke up with her heart pounding. The nightmare hadn't been bad enough to wake her up screaming this time, but she was still left shaken. Sensing her discomfort, Phineas jumped on the bed and headbutted her. She stroked his fur and looked around the room.

It had been a tense day day. That awful reporter had decided to settle an old score by threatening to print a defamatory story. They could have countered back with charges of “libel,” but the damage would have already have been done. And Vale knew that they wouldn't want the publicity of a nasty court case either. 

Dick’s family had been concerned about Vale’s investigations as well, but for different reasons. They didn't want her accidentally stumbling upon Cole’s shady business dealings and inadvertently compromising their case. 

In an unexpected turn of events, Bruce had all but ordered them to get married as soon it could be arranged. Reasoning that the exclusive coverage of their surprise ceremony would be enough of a headline to satisfy her.

Madi had not been happy about it at all. It wasn't Bruce's place to tell them when and how to get married. The whole thing was a bit rich, and she'd told Dick in no uncertain terms. She was none to pleased to see that when push came to shove, they could so easily throw something personal on the chopping block. Dick'd had to wrestle the phone away from her to stop her from placing an irate call telling Bruce where he could shove his assignment for them.

They'd spent all day going back and forth about it. Weighing their options along with the pros and cons. In the end, they’d agreed to it, deciding it didn't matter if they got married a week from today or six months from now. While he had been less than pleased to be ordered to get married the same way a child is ordered to brush their teeth, Dick was relieved not to be facing a long engagement.

Dick's side of the bed was empty. He'd woken back up at some point. This wasn't an uncommon occurrence; he had difficulty sleeping the whole night through. His nocturnal habits had upset his circadian rhythms and now suffered from moderate insomnia. She would usually find him on his laptop or tablet; even though he'd been restricted from “costumed work,” Nightwing still had plenty to do. He'd told her once that he spent more time doing research, than “cracking heads.”

“Let's go find, Dick,” she whispered to the purring feline.

She frowned slightly when she found the apartment and balcony empty. If he ever decided to leave the Tower, he always left a note. That left one place. The roof. 

She climbed up through their private access. As she lifted the hatch, she could hear angry voices. _He's fighting with someone. Probably Bruce again. _She started to leave when a snippet caught her attention.__

____

_“-marry her?!” ___

____

____

____

It was a woman's voice. Madi’s foot froze on the ladder rung.

____

____

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“Yes. As soon as possible.”

____

____

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“What's the rush Dick; did you knock her up?” There was a beat of silence. “I'm sorry. That was uncalled for. It's none of my business.”

____

____

____

“You're right, BG. It is none of your business. But no, I didn't. Is it so unfathomable that I could be in love her?”

____

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“I suppose not. Or are you in love with the _idea _of her?”__

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______ _ _

____

“Excuse me?”

____

______ _ _

____

“It's what you do, Dick.”

"I beg your pardon?!"

____

______ _ _

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______ _ _

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“You fight with Bruce, you leave. You find comfort in the arms of a woman. You propose. Sound familiar?”

____

______ _ _

____

“This has nothing to do with Bruce, or Kori, or you.” _(Kori?) _“Can I just say, for the record, I've _had it _with people saying that. I've moved on. You're just bitter that I've moved on for good. You've always thought that no matter how many times you pushed me away, you could snap your fingers, and I'd come back. Last time was the _last time _. Your words, remember, BG?” _(BG?)_______

____

_________ _ _ _ _ _

____

“Yes, I remember. And I meant it.”

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_________ _ _ _ _ _

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“Then _what _is your problem?!”__

____

___________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____

“You're still my friend, Dick. I don't want to see you make another mistake. I don't want you to get hurt.”

____

___________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____

“Dang it, BG! I'm not some stupid kid trying to get married too young or proposing before I go fight in a battle I might not survive! This is different.” _(?) ___

____

_____________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____

“I hope so. For both your sakes. She actually seems like a nice girl. I don't want her to end up as a casualty because you didn't look before you leapt.”

____

_____________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____

There was silence again. Madi resumed her descent; she’d heard enough. When she was halfway down, the hatch opened. She froze and looked up at him. Dick paled when he saw her clinging to the ladder.

____

_____________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____

“How... how long have you been there?” he asked.

____

_____________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____

Her heart started racing again. _I could say I just got here, but he would know I was lying, and that I just listened to a private conversation. A conversation about me. With his ex-girlfriend-maybe-even-ex-fiancé. No! I don't have a reason to be embarrassed. I have a right to be upset here! ___

____

_______________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____

“Long enough,” she decided on and finished climbing down. She didn't wait for his reply before she headed down the narrow corridor.

____

_______________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____

“Madi, wait!” Dick slid down the ladder and jogged to catch up with her. “Let me explain.”

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“Which part?” she asked as she kept walking.

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_______________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____

“Whichever part. What do you want to know?”

____

_______________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____

Madi spun around and planted a hand on his chest. She gave him a push back. “I need to calm down first. I'm too angry to be rational right now. I'm going to make a cup of tea, and then you are going to tell me _everything _.”__

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_________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____

***

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_________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

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They sat on opposite ends of the sofa. Madi sipped her tea; Dick sat with his hands folded looking contrite.

____

_________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____

“So,” he asked, “where do you want to start?”

____

_________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____

“BG?”

____

_________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

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“Batgirl... We have... history.”

____

_________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____

“Apparently.”

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_________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

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“I've known her since I was a kid.” He looked at Madi and then down.

____

_________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____

_Ah-ha. Barbara Gordon. Batgirl. BG. Clever. ___

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___________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____

“How serious was it?”

____

___________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____

“Everything from friends with benefits to briefly engaged. That was ended by mutual decision. It would have been a mistake, and we both knew it.”

____

___________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____

“And the last time? It sounded like you were together again not that long ago.”

____

___________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____

“Madi, do you _really _want to know all this? It's in the past.”__

____

_____________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____

She glared at him long and hard. “My previous relationship is currently an open book to be analyzed and dissected not only by you but your whole freaking family. It's _humiliating _. The least you could do is be honest with me about this. You still interact with her on a regular basis.”__

____

_______________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____

“It's _work _.”__

____

_________________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____

“It. Still. Counts,” Madi said through gritted teeth. “It is true? You were just looking to fill a void in your life? Was I your rebound girl?”

____

_________________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

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“No!” 

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_________________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____

“Then tell me.”

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_________________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

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Dick heaved a loud sigh and slouched forward, covering his face. “It ended about six months before we met. It was casual. She ended it.” He looked over at her. “You were _not _a rebound. Satisfied?”__

____

___________________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____

“Who's Kori?”

____

___________________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

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“Don't, Madi. Don't go there,” he pleaded.

____

___________________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____

“Who is she, Dick? I've heard Jason mention her too. She's obviously someone who's played a large role in your life.”

____

___________________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____

“Madi, I'm begging you.”

____

___________________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

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“If you don't tell me, I'll ask Jason.”

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___________________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____

He took another deep breath and stared at the floor. “Fine... I was young. Seventeen was not a good year for me. Bruce and I were fighting all the time. I even ran away at one point. Things completely fell apart after the Joker shot me. He fired me. Took away the one thing that was _mine _. I was furious, so I left Gotham. Some others like me, juvenile vigilante delinquents, had started working together as a team. I joined them full time.”__

____

_____________________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

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“That's where you met her.”

____

_____________________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____

“Yeah. We were stupid teenagers confusing hormones and lust for love. Anyway, everything was great for awhile. She was a good friend to me when I needed one, and I'll always be grateful to her for that.”

____

_____________________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____

“So, what went wrong?”

____

_____________________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____

Dick presses his palms into his eyes. “There was this meta, a shapeshifter. She tricked me into sleeping with her. I thought she was Kori. Of course, that didn't matter much to her. Cheating is cheating, she said. So, in my desperate attempt to salvage our relationship, I proposed to her.”

____

_____________________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

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“And she said yes.”

____

_____________________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____

“But somewhere between saying ‘yes’ and saying ‘I do,’ she changed her mind and left me standing at the altar.” He smiled ruefully. “So before my twentieth birthday, I'd been shot, fired, stripped of my identity, violated by a meta, and dumped ceremoniously... Is there anything else you want to know?”

____

_____________________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____

Madi reached over and lifted his face to look at her. “Why did you feel like you needed to hide this?” she asked softly. 

____

_____________________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____

“Because there's me, and then there's _you _. You never even dated anyone until college. Granted, the guy turned out to be scum, but you were going to marry your first and only boyfriend. Me? I've heard the term man-whore thrown out more than once. Add two failed engagements to it, and the picture doesn't improve. When we first met, even you thought I was just trying to get into your pants.”__

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____

She winced recalling the memory. “Dick, all I've ever asked from you is honesty.”

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Dick twisted away from her touch. “That's a two-way street, Madi. I know there's more to _your story _than you've said. Why haven't you told me the rest?”__

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_________________________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____

Madi recoiled into the corner of sofa and curled herself into a ball. “It won't change anything. I'll still be the stupid girl who fell for a disgusting sleaze. The pathetic retch who was too blind to be thankful instead of devastated when he left. I'll still be the coward who ran away.”

____

_________________________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____

He moved over next to her and wrapped her in his arms. She lay her head on his chest as he stroked her hair. “You are one of the strongest people I know,” he whispered.

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_________________________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____

She let him hold her as she gathered her thoughts. It hadn't been until she'd completed her DPT a year ago, that she'd even realized it. That moment of completion had been a happy one she'd celebrated alone. That night she'd mused on the irony that if she'd gotten married, it would've been no more than a piece of paper. Philip had been adamant that she would not work, even part time. It was a conversation that always had ended in a fight. Once he'd even threatened to breakup with her over it. He'd said getting the degree and title was one thing, but her place as his wife was taking care of their household. He would not tolerate a wife who shirked her responsibilities. Despite feeling his attitude was archaic, she'd agreed to not pursue it beyond school; even though it'd made her sad to do it. Then she'd started thinking about others things he'd said and done; his demands and ultimatums. It had made her sick.

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“I didn't even know,” she said into his chest. “It started so slowly, with small, dumb things. Like, he refused to call me Madi. It was always Madilyn. Later, he told me he thought Madi was undignified. I told him he was silly. Then it was small changes to my clothes and my hair over time. If I wore something he didn't like, he'd make a rude comment about it. He said because I represented him, he had the right to critique my appearance. I was used to criticism from coaches and professors, so I didn't let it get to me. Same thing with things I would do. Before I knew it, I had completely stopped doing silly stuff, like riding the subway without trousers, because he thought it reflected badly on him. And it was million small things like that.”

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He continued to run his fingers through her hair and willed his heart beat to remain steady. She would hear it start to race as his anger towards Cole burned. “Did anyone notice or say anything?”

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“He was always the picture of the perfect boyfriend in front of my parents and in public. My roommate picked up on it, but we weren't really friends so I didn't listen to her. Because he could also be really sweet, and he could always justify everything he did,... it wasn't until we were engaged that anything really bothered me.”

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“What changed?”

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“I figured he was just being a groomzilla. He had to have his way about _everything _. Location, the number of guests, the colors, the flowers. I wasn't allowed to make a single decision without him signing off on it. He even wanted a say on my dress. I compromised and let his mother come shopping with us. But the worst thing he did...” She held onto him tighter and her breath caught as the memory came back. Dick didn't say anything. He just tightened his arms around her in return and steeled himself for what she was about to say. After a few minutes, she found her voice again. “I had wanted to wait until we were married; he had agreed. But then one night... he'd been drinking. My roommate was gone so we were alone... We were kissing, and I knew it was getting too intense, so I asked him to stop... He got angry and said that he could kiss me if he wanted to... He could do whatever he wanted to with me... I asked him to leave, but he... he... he was stronger than me.__

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Dick could feel his shirt become damp with her tears. “The next day, he apologized and blamed it on a combination stress from work and the alcohol. And I forgave him. He _raped _me, and I _forgave _him."____

_____ _

Madi was shaking now. Dick's heart was breaking for her. He wanted to beat Cole senseless. It was a good thing he was benched right now. "I'm sorry, Madi," he whispered softly.

_____ _

Her voice caught in a choked laugh. "But then, he said since we'd already done it once there was no sense in continuing to wait.”

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“Oh, my god! What a bastard!” Dick couldn't hold the outburst in.

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“I didn't want to have sex again, but he would guilt me into it. He said I should want to please him. If I loved him, then I would take care of him. If I said no, he'd get angry, and I'd be afraid he'd hurt me again, so I'd still end up doing what he wanted... Once in an argument I used the word rape, and he laughed at me. He told me I didn't know what I was talking about, and that I shouldn't disrespect girls that actually are victims by throwing that word around.”

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Dick was horrified remembering how Cole had touched her at the party. 

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“Madi, I'm so, so sorry. If I had known, I never would have let him dance with you. I would have never let him go near you again. I should have known. I should have figured it out.”

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She curled up into a ball again and dropped her head onto her knees. “Now you really know how messed up I am. I was the loser in an abusive relationship who didn't even see it. I was still going to marry him. Even after that, I still loved him.” She tilted her head and looked over at him. “But I didn't tell you the whole story because I didn't want you to see me as broken.”

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He pulled her over to him again. “No, never. You're not broken.”

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“But I'm not what you think I am either. You use words like fearless and intelligent and bold to describe me. They couldn't be further from the truth.”

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“That's a lie, Madi. You are brave. It takes guts to start over, and to do it here no less. And smart? You're engaged to me. You're brilliant.” He felt her smile. “And bold? You stand up to Batman. You have the Red Hood eating out of the palm of your hand. Not many people, if any, can say that.”

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“Red’s a big softy. And Batman's not so scary.”

_____ _

Dick smiled and looked down at her. They both felt lighter, no longer burdened by secrets. He held her until his own eyelids started to feel heavy again. Her breathing had already evened out; sleep hitting her fast as a result of the night's emotional roller coaster. He lifted her up and carried her back to the bedroom.

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_____ _


	23. Supposed To Do

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dick goes to talk to Tim about what's troubling him. Wally and Roy blow into town for one last night out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you ever find yourself stuck in the middle of the sea,  
> I'll sail the world to find you  
> If you ever find yourself lost in the dark and you can't see,  
> I'll be the light to guide you  
> Find out what we're made of  
> When we are called to help our friends in need  
> You can count on me like one two three  
> I'll be there  
> And I know when I need it I can count on you like four three two  
> You'll be there  
> 'Cause that's what friends are supposed to do, oh yeah  
> "Count On Me" - Bruno Mars

“Well, if it isn't the happy couple!” Alfred greeted them at the door the next afternoon.

“Did Bruce tell you we were coming?” Dick asked as they followed him into the house. 

“Master Bruce informed me you would be ringing, but this is a pleasant surprise.”

“Sorry, we should've called first. Is this a bad time?” asked Madi.

“Nonsense,” said Alfred. “This is Master Richard's home. He is welcome here anytime he wishes. As are you.”

“Did Bruce tell you what happened with Vicki?” Dick asked.

Alfred led them into the kitchen and put the kettle to boil. “He mentioned Miss Vale is back to her old tricks and has put you two in a spot.”

“That's an underestimate,” grumbled Madi.

“We need to get married pretty quickly, Alfred. She's been promised an exclusive in exchange for killing another story. It was decided our wedding would satisfy her bloodthirst. At least for awhile anyways,” Dick replied.

Alfred cast a concerned look at the pair as he sat a basket of scones on the table. “Are you certain you wish to do that? It's an important day. I'd hate for you to have regrets.”

Dick and Madi looked at eachother before responding. “We're fine with it,” answered Madi. “I don't want a big, elaborate wedding anyway. And with the life you guys lead, there's never truly going to be a perfect time. It makes sense to arrange something quickly.”

“The trickiest part will be keeping it on the down low from the rest of the gossip mongers,” added Dick. “We would go to the courthouse, but-”

“I would never forgive you,” interjected Alfred.

“Exactly,” said Dick. “So, what do you say, Alfie? Want to help us plan a secret wedding?”

***

After promising to wear whatever he was told, Dick made his way down to the cave. He wanted to look over the mission report from last night. Barbara had mentioned that it had been successful, but the conversation had digressed before she'd said much else about it.

Bruce was sitting in front of the main computer, and Dick hesitantly approached him. To his credit, Bruce had acted like the punch had never occurred, but Dick felt it was only a matter of time before it blew back in his face. As he came closer, Bruce handed him a printout without a word and kept typing. It was the mission report.

The exchange had taken place at the Bludhaven port. Victor Prado and two bodyguards met with Philip Cole who was accompanied by a male and female. Prado asked for a demonstration of his purchase. Cole agreed. The female with him then stepped forward as did the two bodyguards with Prado. The three engaged in hand to hand combat. The female quickly dispatched the first and was stopped just short of breaking the neck of the second. Prado then used the supplied laptop for the money transfer. Before concluding, Cole showed him a video and told Prado to tell his friends where they could find pest control. The video was of Nightwing being taken down that night at the port. They concluded business.

Red Robin and Spoiler had tailed Cole back to his office where they were able to download the files from the laptop. Batgirl and Red Hood followed Prado and his entourage back to his hotel. He was quiet for the rest of the night.

“So, you didn't intervene and stop it?” Dick asked.

Bruce finally stopped typing and looked at him. “No.”

“Why not? Now there's another one of them out there.”

“Yes, and now we know to look for her. The files recovered from Cole’s laptop will be more useful in shutting down his operation than foiling one exchange.”

“You don't know what Prado is going to do with her. You just let someone buy another human being,” Dick said in disbelief.

“I have her being monitored. At the first sign of mistreatment, we will extract her. However, I have a feeling they're more scared of her than she of them.”

Dick didn't like it. This case had them blurring lines. “What do you think he wants with her?”

“He now has a trained killer at his disposal. Batgirl heard him say he chose a female ‘because a beautiful woman always helps grease the wheels of industry.’ She'll do his dirty work for him.” At seeing Dick’s disgusted expression, Bruce added, “We won't let him take her out of Gotham.”

“And the files?”

“Encrypted. As expected. Tim is working on modifying the cipher that Jason gave us to open these,” Bruce said. “Speaking of your younger brother, you need to talk to him.”

“Tim? Why?”

“I'll just say, he was some concerns that I think you're better equipped to allay.”

Dick pondered over this. “Okay. Is he here?”

“No. He's at his downtown apartment. Hopefully sleeping, but probably not.”

“I'll give him a call.” Dick gestured toward the holding cell. “Any progress there?”

“No.”

Dick considered going over there but decided against it. “Well, I'm going to head back up then.” Halfway to the elevator, Dick turned around. “Bruce? I _am _sorry.”__

____

“I know,” he replied, typing again. He gave no indication of saying anything more.

____

Dick rolled his eyes. “That's it?”

____

Bruce stopped and leaned back in his chair. He sighed. “Would it make you feel better if I hit you back?”

____

_Is he joking? _“Maybe.”__

______ _ _

“Well, I'm not. We've done that dance too many times. It doesn't accomplish anything.”

______ _ _

“So, you're not angry with me?”

______ _ _

“You were irate and looking to blame someone, and I bore some responsibility for what happened. So did you. But you've never been able to compartmentalize the way Tim and I do." Dick started to say something more, but Bruce cut him off. “I also wanted to assure you, that contrary to popular belief, I'm not trying to sabotage your relationship."

______ _ _

Dick frowned. He had accused Bruce of that earlier but had dropped it after their talk when he'd been hurt the first time. "I didn't think you were. I thought you were being an ass, but not trying to sabotage things. Madi's not happy with you right now, though. About the whole wedding on command thing. You should talk to her later, but be forewarned, she has some choice words saved up for you."

______ _ _

"Hrn. Fine," Bruce grunted and nodded. "Now, go back upstairs. I have work to do, and you have a wedding to plan.”

______ _ _

***

______ _ _

“Tim! Timmy! Tim! Let me up! Buzz me in! Timmy!”

______ _ _

Dick stood outside of Tim's building, talking into the intercom. After a few minutes, he heard Tim fumbling with the button.

______ _ _

“Go away, Dick. I'm sleeping.”

______ _ _

“No, you're not. You're working.”

______ _ _

“You have no proof.”

______ _ _

“Steph has class all afternoon. No one's there to make you sleep.”

______ _ _

“Then, go away. I'm working.”

______ _ _

“Don't be like that, Timmy. I brought you coffee.”

______ _ _

“...”

______ _ _

“From Treehouse.”

______ _ _

Tim buzzed him up without a word. Dick had known the offering from his favorite cafe would be too much to pass up. Tim opened the door and immediately grabbed the cup from Dick’s hand. He walked back into his apartment and collapsed on the sofa.

______ _ _

“So, Tim-”

______ _ _

Tim held up his hand to silence Dick as he took a drink. His eyes were closed, savoring the hot liquid. “I give me minute to enjoy this.” Dick watched as Tim imbibed with more pleasure than he thought was natural. “Okay, now you may speak.”

______ _ _

“How's it going?” Dick asked.

______ _ _

Tim’s eyes narrowed in suspicion. “You didn't come over to shoot the breeze, Dick. Why are you here?”

______ _ _

“Can't I just want to spend some time with you?”

______ _ _

“Do you?”

______ _ _

“Of course.”

______ _ _

“Well, I'm busy,” Tim replied flatly.

______ _ _

Dick looked around the apartment. Tim had two laptops open and a third charging nearby. WE paperwork was stacked on one end of the table and case notes on the other. In front of him were two enormous whiteboards. One contained specs for an R&D project. There other was a detailed diagram of their current case connecting timelines, POIs, and events.

______ _ _

“That's an oversimplification, Tim. How can you focus on both things at once?”

______ _ _

“I'm a genius, that's how,” he snarked. “How are you keeping busy these days? Going stir crazy yet?”

______ _ _

“A bit,” Dick admitted. “I'll be glad to get back in the field.”

______ _ _

“You won't retire?” Tim asked, typing on one of the laptops.

______ _ _

Dick frowned slightly. “After the wedding? No. Why?”

______ _ _

Tim shrugged indifferently. “I was just wondering, with everything that's happened, if you'd considered it. It might be better in the long run if you did.”

______ _ _

He raised an eyebrow. “Oh, really? Why’s that?”

______ _ _

Tim kept typing. “A house divided against itself will fall.”

______ _ _

“I believe the saying is ‘cannot stand.’”

______ _ _

“Same difference.”

______ _ _

Dick mulled this over while Tim walked over to the R&D board and started writing. “You think, we're a divided house?”

______ _ _

“I think you will be. One half loyal to her; the other to the cause. In the end, war will ensue,” Tim said as he wrote.

______ _ _

“You're being a little dramatic, don't you think?”

______ _ _

Tim smacked the lid back onto his marker. “Tell that to Bruce's jaw.”

______ _ _

Dick groaned. “Tim, I've apologized to Bruce already. Everything’s fine.”

______ _ _

“This time.” He walked back over to the table and picked up the other laptop. “And what about her, Dick? How long do you honestly think she'll put up your late nights, sometimes being gone for days or weeks with no communication, then coming home beaten and needing stitches?”

______ _ _

“We'll cross that bridge when we get there.”

______ _ _

“If it's not too late.”

______ _ _

“Good grief, Tim! Why are you so cynical?”

______ _ _

Tim slammed the laptop closed and finally looked at Dick. “Have you forgotten how my dad died?!”

______ _ _

It clicked. Tim’s father had been a casualty in the twisted scheme of an ex-wife to win back her husband’s affection; the civilian ex-wife of a superhero. 

______ _ _

“Tim, it doesn't always end that way.”

______ _ _

“Well, it seems like with these things someone usually ends up dead. I'm tired of burying people, Dick,” Tim said and slumped forward. 

______ _ _

Dick put his arm around his younger brother's shoulders. “I know, Timmy, but it's going to be fine. You'll see.”

______ _ _

“Yeah,” Tim said quietly. “I _am _happy for you, you know.”__

________ _ _ _ _

“I know.”

________ _ _ _ _

Suddenly, Tim's eyes went wide. “That's it!” He reopened the laptop and started typing furiously.

________ _ _ _ _

“What i-”

________ _ _ _ _

“Ssh,” Tim said and pressed a finger to Dick’s mouth, shushing him. “Genius happening.” Two minutes later, he finished with a flourish. “Ha! Behold my brilliance, mortal!”

________ _ _ _ _

Dick looked at the screen. Tim had successfully created the cipher and now all the files were decrypting. “You're good.”

________ _ _ _ _

“Good?” Tim sputtered. “I'm freaking awesome!”

________ _ _ _ _

Dick read through the data that was coming through. “Awesome,” he murmured. “This is good, Tim. We finally have something.”

________ _ _ _ _

Tim was grinning like a Cheshire cat as he dialed a number, “Hey, Bruce. I have a present for you.”

________ _ _ _ _

***

________ _ _ _ _

“So, we've got him on arms dealing and money laundering. We could turn this over now and have him arrested,” said Dick.

________ _ _ _ _

They had gathered down in the cave to discuss their next move.

________ _ _ _ _

“That still leaves the loose end of the mercenaries down at the docks.” Wally mentioned, he had run down from Keystone City.

________ _ _ _ _

“But how do we deal with them? Other than the attack on Dick, have they broken any laws yet? We can't have them locked up simply because they're dangerous. If that were true, we'd never let Damian out of the house,” said Jason.

________ _ _ _ _

“I won't let the police raid that ship,” Bruce broke in. “It would be a slaughter.”

________ _ _ _ _

“We can go, Father,” insisted Damian. “We've dealt with the League before. They cannot be any more dangerous.”

________ _ _ _ _

“If all of us go invading that boat, they will see it as an act of aggression,” Tim reasoned. “Think about their mindset and some of the things Jo has said. It will only escalate the situation.”

________ _ _ _ _

“Jo?” asked Wally.

________ _ _ _ _

Tim jerked his thumb toward the holding cell. “Houseguest.”

________ _ _ _ _

“What if we use her?” asked Dick. “What if we could convince her to talk them down?”

________ _ _ _ _

“That's a big ‘if,’ Dickiebird,” said Jason. “I wouldn't trust her even if she agreed.”

________ _ _ _ _

“I agree with Todd,” stated Damian. “She is too volatile to be a trustworthy ally.”

________ _ _ _ _

“In the meantime, I’ll work out what to do with them once they’re recovered. As Jason mentioned, if they haven't broken any laws, they don't deserve to go to prison. But we can't turn them loose until their mental stability can be assessed,” Bruce said. “Wally, has there been any movement in Keystone?”

________ _ _ _ _

“I intercepted an email scheduling a pick up of new ’potential’ in two weeks.”

________ _ _ _ _

“That's our deadline. We will shut this down before that can happen.” Bruce's tone indicated dismissal, and the group split up.

________ _ _ _ _

Wally jogged over to Dick. “So, this Saturday?”

________ _ _ _ _

Dick smiled. “Yeah. Can you make it?”

________ _ _ _ _

“Wouldn't miss it,” Wally said and slung an arm around his neck. “Now, what are we doing for your bachelor party?”

________ _ _ _ _

The elevator doors closed behind them. “Nothing, Wally. This whole thing is supposed to be low key. If I go out for a hell raising boys night, I'll have two problems. One, it will alert the press.”

________ _ _ _ _

“And two?”

________ _ _ _ _

“Alfred will kill me. He raised me better.”

________ _ _ _ _

“You're no fun at all.”

________ _ _ _ _

“Sorry.”

________ _ _ _ _

“At least, let me take you out while I'm in town. I'll even go pick up Roy. It'll be like old times.”

________ _ _ _ _

Dick raised an eyebrow. “Fine,” he said, regretting it as soon as the words were out of his mouth.

________ _ _ _ _

Wally burst out grinning. “Excellent. Meet you at Foundations at seven?”

________ _ _ _ _

***

________ _ _ _ _

“Freaking hell, Wally! I hate when you do that!”

________ _ _ _ _

Roy yelled belligerently at his friend as he shook off the effects of being sped across multiple states. He sat with his head between his knees and continued to curse. 

________ _ _ _ _

“Aw, don't be a baby, Roy,” Wally teased. “For someone who used to go by Speedy, you're a real lightweight.”

________ _ _ _ _

“I will shoot you, I swear.”

________ _ _ _ _

“See, now you're starting to sound like Jason,” added Dick. “I knew he was a bad influence.”

________ _ _ _ _

Wally bounced up and down on the balls of his feet. “Come on, Roy! We're here to have fun. It's our last night with Dick as a single man. It's the end of an era!”

________ _ _ _ _

Roy hauled himself back to his feet. “Fine. I've rallied. Lead the way.”

________ _ _ _ _

The three men exited the alley behind the bar and headed inside. Dick had already secured them a table in the back, using his smile and name to skip the line.

________ _ _ _ _

“I'm glad you guys are here,” Dick said. “I needed this.”

________ _ _ _ _

“You're not getting cold feet are you?” asked Roy.

________ _ _ _ _

Dick rolled his eyes. “No, but it's been a crazy couple weeks.”

________ _ _ _ _

“Speaking of which, are you sure about this, Dick? You haven't known her very long.” Wally said.

________ _ _ _ _

“Guys! Yes, I'm sure. Yes, I've thought this through. Yes, I know it seems crazy. And, no, I don't care.”

________ _ _ _ _

Wally summoned the waitress over. “Just checking, Dick. I'd be a bad friend if I didn't. Now, what are you drinking?”

________ _ _ _ _

It really wasn't fair. Roy didn't drink anymore, and Wally metabolized the alcohol so quickly it never affected him. Leaving Dick at their mercy.

________ _ _ _ _

“You know, it's ironic,” Dick commented.

________ _ _ _ _

“Isn't it?” Wally trolled.

________ _ _ _ _

“Everyone always gave me a hard time for having a thing for redheads. Raya. Babs. Kori. Even my two best buds are redheads. And I'm marrying a blonde.”

________ _ _ _ _

“You know we still haven't met her,” Roy pointed out.

________ _ _ _ _

“There's a good reason,” Dick said. “I don't trust you two.”

________ _ _ _ _

“Who, us?” Wally asked with feigned innocence.

________ _ _ _ _

“I walked in on her and Jason once.”

________ _ _ _ _

Wally’s beer sprayed out of his mouth and Roy started coughing from swallowing his club soda wrong. For once in his life, Roy was the faster of the two and regained the ability to speak first. “Say that again?”

________ _ _ _ _

“It was my fault really. I left them alone together. I didn't think they would get on so well.”

________ _ _ _ _

Roy is immediately thinking he owes his former partner a long overdue phone call. “You seem strangely okay with the whole thing. I'm surprised.”

________ _ _ _ _

“I was shocked for sure. I came in and found them on the floor playing Battleship and sharing a bottle of whiskey. Did you know you can turn Battleship into a drinking game?”

________ _ _ _ _

Roy and Wally exchanged a look. Roy covered his face with his hand and Wally hit his forehead on the table. “Dick,” was all Roy said as he shook his head.

________ _ _ _ _

Dick glanced from one to the other and thought over his last few sentences. Disgusted, he slapped them both in the back of the head. “That is-! Ugh! I can't believe you thought I meant-! I would shoot Jason with his own gun!”

________ _ _ _ _

“That I'd like to see,” Wally said.

________ _ _ _ _

“I have before.”

________ _ _ _ _

“What?!” both men exclaimed.

________ _ _ _ _

“It was an accident. He said I couldn't hit the side of a barn. Apparently, he forgot about my Spyral days. I shot him in the arm. I didn't know it was a live round. He'd been using rubber bullets. He never commented about my aim again though. Don't tell Alfred,” Dick said as he took a drink while his friends continued to stare at him. “Guys, I'm getting married in three days. Like, for real this time.”

________ _ _ _ _

“Are you about to freak out?” asked Roy.

________ _ _ _ _

“What if she changes her mind?”

________ _ _ _ _

“Dude, she's not going to back out,” Wally assured him. “If she's put up with you through all this, then she's the real deal.”

________ _ _ _ _

“I've been wrong before. Twice.”

________ _ _ _ _

“He's going to freak out, Wally.”

________ _ _ _ _

“And I'm getting old. I might not find love again.”

________ _ _ _ _

“We need to get him out of here,” said Wally as he threw money on the table to cover their tab.

________ _ _ _ _

“This could be it for me. My last chance. And what if I've wrecked things by moving too fast? You guys think it's too fast. Am I ruining everything?”

________ _ _ _ _

“Where should we take him?” asked Roy as they hustled him out the door.

________ _ _ _ _

“Oh, god! I've ruined it!”

________ _ _ _ _

“Back to his place quick.”

________ _ _ _ _

***

________ _ _ _ _

Madi was reading in bed when she heard a commotion in the living room. Dick had gone out with his friends, and she wasn't expecting him back for hours. She tiptoed to the door and peeked out to see two red-headed men standing in front of the couch whispering urgently at a third person. She stepped out of the bedroom and cleared her throat. They jumped when they saw her.

________ _ _ _ _

“Is everything okay?” she asked.

________ _ _ _ _

“Maybe you can talk some sense into this idiot,” said the one with tattoos.

________ _ _ _ _

“What happened?”

________ _ _ _ _

“Tell him you plan to show up on Saturday, and he's not going to die alone,” said the other one.

________ _ _ _ _

“Excuse me?”

________ _ _ _ _

“Just tell the moron, please.”

________ _ _ _ _

Madi came around the sofa to see Dick obviously intoxicated. “He's drunk,” she said flatly. “And you two?”

________ _ _ _ _

“I don't drink,” said Tattoos.

________ _ _ _ _

“High tolerance, said Thing Two.

________ _ _ _ _

“Madi,” Dick said, “don't be mad, Madi.” She rolled her eyes. “I'm not screwed, am I?”

________ _ _ _ _

“What, Dick?”

________ _ _ _ _

“He's afraid you're going to change your mind about getting married,” supplied Thing Two.

________ _ _ _ _

Madi sighed. _I can't believe this is happening right now. _“No, Dick. We're getting married on Saturday. Everything will be fine.”__

____

________ _ _ _ _

____

Dick breathed a sigh of relief. “I told you she loved me.”

____

________ _ _ _ _

____

Madi grabbed Tattoos and Thing Two by the elbows and ushered them to the kitchen. “Okay, names.”

____

________ _ _ _ _

____

“Roy,” said Tattoos.

____

________ _ _ _ _

____

“Wally,” said Thing Two.

____

________ _ _ _ _

____

“Alright, Roy and Wally, I'm all for boys night out, but this is unacceptable. Come on, play fair. He's a lightweight.”

____

________ _ _ _ _

____

“I swear, he was fine one minute, and the next he was in drama queen mode,” said Roy.

____

________ _ _ _ _

____

“Mhm.” Madi shook her head. “Well, which one of you is staying the night?” The two men exchanged a confused look. "Oh, you think you can bring him home like this and expect me to clean up your mess? Uh-uh. You break it, you bought it, boys. Have fun."

____

______She sauntered back to her bedroom cackling._ _ _ _ _ _

____


	24. Home To You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The wedding day.
> 
> This chapter has an overlapping timeline. It starts from Dick's perspective, and then switches over to Madi's but hstarts from an earlier point. I hope that's not confusing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know I took the path that you would never want for me  
> I know I let you down, didn't I  
> So many sleepless nights where you were waiting up on me  
> But I'm just a slave unto the night
> 
> I've been around the world and never in my wildest dreams  
> Would I come running home to you  
> I've told a million lies but now I tell a single truth  
> There's you in everything I do
> 
> "Bet My Life" - Imagine Dragons

The door to Dick’s room creaked open and soundless footsteps approached his bed. He stirred slightly and stretched an arm to the empty side of the bed. Having grown so used to having Madi there, her absence pulled him out of deep sleep. Before he could awaken fully, he was assaulted by a heavy forces; shaking the bed and smacking him with a pillow.

“Stampede! Stampede!”

Dick flailed his arms and legs to stop the barrage and finally knocked his brothers off the bed.

“Jason! Damian! What the hell?” Dick said and threw his pillows at them.

“It's time to get up, Dickiebird! You don't want to sleep through your own wedding! You're the one who chose this godforsaken hour!”

“Everyone else has been up for hours, Grayson.”

“Alright! Alright! I'm awake! Now get out!”

“Then get moving!” His two younger brothers fled the room, slamming the door behind them.

They had decided on a morning wedding. It had given them the cover of Bruce Wayne hosting a weekend brunch with the caterers and vendors. They had even been able to call in a favor to a judge and arrange the marriage license privately instead to going down to the courthouse. It was going to be small and intimate, and Vicki Vale would get her story.

Dick snuck down the hall to Madi’s room and lightly tapped on the door. She had been ushered off to another room after a hasty goodnight kiss. He just wanted to say good morning. A throat cleared behind him. _Uh-oh, I've been caught _.__

____

“She's not there.”

__

His sister Cassandra was standing behind him with her arms folded and a disapproving twist to her mouth. 

__

“Uh, morning, Cass.”

__

“You can't see her yet.”

__

Dick held out his hands apologetically. “I just wanted to say hi.”

__

“I will tell her. You, go. Get ready.”

__

Dick gave her a hug before he left. “I'm glad you're here, Cass.”

__

She hugged him back. “Of course, I came.” She struck a pose. “How do I look?”

__

Her hair and makeup had been done, but she was still in lounge wear. “Beautiful. I love your outfit. Did Steph help you pick it out?”

__

“I'm not dressed yet.” She playfully pushed him away. “Now go. Or I tell Alfred.”

__

Dick returned to his room, only sulking a little bit. He showered, shaved, and dressed in the chosen ensemble. She had picked out a light gray summer suit with a grey and blue striped tie. It looked effortless and stylish at the same time. _Good job, Madi _. He went to make his Windsor knot, but found his hands were shaking too much.__

_____ _

Tie in hand, he sought help. He knocked on Tim's door first. No answer. Then he tried Bruce's. No answer. _Great _. He trudged downstairs to face to the wedding hustle and bustle.__

_______ _ _ _

“Sleeping beauty arises!” yelled Tim as he heard a camera click.

_______ _ _ _

At the downstairs landing, Bruce and Tim had been speaking with Donna Troy.

_______ _ _ _

“Donna!” Dick exclaimed as he ran the rest of the way down and wrapped her up in a big hug. “You made it!”

_______ _ _ _

“Are you kidding? I wouldn't miss this! Now, let me go. You're going to get all wrinkled!”

_______ _ _ _

He clung to her a few seconds more before releasing his former teammate and dearest friend. It had been a couple years since they'd seen each other in person. Most of her Justice League missions required her to be off world, making even phone calls difficult to coordinate. 

_______ _ _ _

“It's just so good to see you. I can't wait for you to meet Madi, Donna. You're going to love her."

_______ _ _ _

“I'm glad for you, Dick,” she responded. "You deserve some happiness."

_______ _ _ _

“What's with the tie?” asked Tim, pointing to the forgotten accessory in Dick's hand.

_______ _ _ _

Dick rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. “Oh, uh, I can't seem to get the knot right today.”

_______ _ _ _

Bruce took it from him and lifted his collar. Without a word, Bruce's hands deftly tied the knot perfectly while Donna snapped another photo capturing the moment forever.

_______ _ _ _

“Can I get a copy of that? I wasn't allowed to bring a camera.” Vicki Vale strutted over to the small group. 

_______ _ _ _

“I promise you'll get all the pictures you need, Vicki,” Dick said. “If there's a specific shot you want, we can talk to the photographer.”

_______ _ _ _

“No, I trust you'll give me something good.” She handed her card to Donna. “I'm serious about that picture. Please send it to me.”

_______ _ _ _

“What was that about?” Donna asked watching her retreating figure.

_______ _ _ _

“ _That _is part of the reason for this hasty affair. I would've liked a bit more time for Madi to get to know my life beyond Gotham and Bludhaven, but Vicki threatened to print a story that would have jeopardized a case we're working on, not to mention scandalize Madi’s reputation. We were already engaged, so we offered her exclusive coverage of our wedding in exchange.”__

_________ _ _ _ _ _

_“Dick,” _Donna said disapprovingly.__

___________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“It's okay, Donna. We were going to get married anyway. This just sped things up.”

___________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“You shouldn't have let some stupid reporter bully you.”

___________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“We've been dealing with her for a long time. Sometimes, it's best to chose your battles.”

___________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“I'm going to chose one with her. This is not right,” Donna said with a quiet vehemence.

___________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Dick smothered her in another hug. “I've missed you, Donna.”

___________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

***

___________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_That same morning, on the other side of the manor... ___

_____________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Madi tried not to fidget while the makeup artist put the finishing touches on her eyes. It was strange being fussed over. She'd woken up at six that morning following a fitful night's sleep. After a short stretching session to alleviate some tension, she took a quick shower and headed down to the large study that had been set up for the “beauty team;” hair stylists, makeup artists, and manicurists that had been procured for herself, Cassandra, and Stephanie. 

_____________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“Oh, my gosh! I'm so tired,” Stephanie moaned and let her head flop much to the chagrin of the hairdresser.

_____________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“When did you sleep?” asked Cass, the picture of cooperation perched daintily on a chair; all three professionals working on her at once.

_____________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“I'm not saying. I was working on a paper. What about you, Madi? Were you able to sleep any last night, or did you lie awake thinking about everything that could go wrong?”

_____________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

She smiled. “I drank some tulsi tea before bed. It helped.”

_____________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Stephanie inspected her eggplant lacquered fingernails. “Thanks again, for including me in this. That was really sweet of you.”

_____________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“It didn't seem right not to. You've been part of this family far longer than I have,” Madi said.

_____________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

At that moment, Jason burst through the door and flopped on a chair next to Cassandra. “Hello, ladies. When's it my turn?”

_____________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“Jason! This is girl time!” Cass reprimanded. 

_____________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“I know, but I'm hiding. Alfred is on the warpath with caterers, and Tim is driving me crazy going over the schedule for today. He's told me four times already when I need to be in position. If he says it again, I swear I'm going to strangle him with his tie. He's already dressed, Steph. You'd swear this was his wedding.” Jason had found Tim's bossiness especially annoying given their argument in the cave. He was still upset with him, but if Tim had decided to play nice today, Jason would do his best to be peaceable.

_____________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Steph waved her hand dismissively. “You know, Tim. He shows he cares through obsessive attention to detail. He's just trying to be supportive.”

_____________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“Is Dick awake?” Cass asked.

_____________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Jason thought this over. “You know, I haven't seen him yet.” A mischievous smile spread across his face. “I should go check on him.” He leapt up and ran from the room. The girls saw him grab Damian by the arm and drag him up the stairs, outlining whatever plan he had for their eldest brother. Damian’s blue eyes flashed with impish delight.

_____________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Cassandra stood as well. Her beauty regimen completed. “I will go, too. There may be trouble.”

_____________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Stephanie stifled another yawn. “I'm sending brain waves for Tim to bring me coffee.” She cast a sidelong glance at Madi. “Are you okay?”

_____________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“Yeah.”

_____________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Stephanie tilted her head and gave Madi her best “don't lie to me” look. “Sure?”

_____________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Madi bit her lip. “I'm just thinking about all the people I'm going to be meeting today. Most of the guests are his. It's a lot of pressure. What if they don't like me?”

_____________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“So what, if they don't? Madi, who cares what anybody else thinks. You know, when Tim and I first got together, Bruce didn't care much for me. He thought I was a bad influence. But, eventually, he came around. If they don't like you, it's only because they don't know you. And if they still have a problem, screw ‘em.”

_____________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Madi laughed at Stephanie’s frankness. “Thanks, Steph. That's what I needed to hear.”

_____________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“No problem. Now do you need help getting into your dress?”

_____________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“Probably.”

_____________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Twenty minutes later, Madi was alone in the room; the layers of delicate, airy tulle making a swishing noise as she paced. She chosen a simple floor length gown with a lace bodice and floaty tulle skirt. It was lightweight and not overly fussy. Instead of a bouquet, she'd opted for something practical having flowers attached to the small clutch purse she would carry.

_____________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

There was a soft knock on the door, and Damian poked his head in. “Everyone is in position.”

_____________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Madi smiled. “You sound as if we're running an op.”

_____________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Damian’s face was serious. “We are. Operation Hitched. That is what Drake called it.”

_____________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Madi laughed as she took his arm and they walked to the back yard. He let her pause to take in everything before they walked out.

_____________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Alfred had been a miracle worker taking their ideas and transforming them into the scene before her. Gauzy tents had been set up to shade people from the summer sun. Flower arrangements of varying shades of blues and purples were the main focal points. The aroma of the brunch that was being prepared in the catering kitchen was wafting through the air. Instead of one large cake, they'd chosen to have several small ones.

_____________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

She heard Jason started strumming the notes on his guitar, cueing their procession. As she and Damian walked down the aisle, the lyrics to the melody played in her head. 

_____________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_“Wise men say, only fools rush in...” ___

____

_____________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____

The expression on Dick’s face as he watched her confirmed he was thinking the same thing.

____

_____________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____

_“But I can't help falling in love with you...” ___

______ _ _

_____________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______ _ _

***

______ _ _

_____________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______ _ _

# GOTHAM HEARTBREAKER OFF THE MARKET

______ _ _

_____________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

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_____________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______ _ _

## by Vicki Vale

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_____________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______ _ _

## 

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_____________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

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______ _ _

On Saturday, July 8, Richard John Grayson wed Madilyn Simone Wood in a private ceremony held at Wayne Manor.

______ _ _

_____________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______ _ _

As the eldest son of philanthropist Bruce Wayne, Mr. Grayson is a name and a story known to most here in Gotham, but Ms. Wood has proven to be a woman of mystery. She appeared out of nowhere on the his arm, and had everyone asking, “Who is she?”

______ _ _

_____________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______ _ _

Currently residing in Bludhaven, NJ, where she works as a physical therapist at the Viribus Wellness Centre, Ms. Wood originally hails from New Haven, CT. Her parents were Bruno and Constance Wood, renowned opera singers, and Mr. Wood was a beloved professor at the Yale School of Music. Sadly, loss of family is where Ms. Wood and Mr. Grayson begin to find common ground. Three years ago, she was the sole survivor of a family tragedy.

______ _ _

_____________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______ _ _

“I miss them everyday, but I don't let what happened define me,” Ms. Wood said.

______ _ _

_____________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______ _ _

It was that fortitude that first attracted Mr. Grayson. “She had a light about her. It was magnetic. I couldn't resist,” he said.

______ _ _

_____________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______ _ _

Although, at first the attraction wasn't mutual.

______ _ _

_____________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______ _ _

“The first time I met Dick, he knocked me off my feet. Literally. Completely knocked me to the ground. I had a bruise for weeks,” Ms. Wood said.

______ _ _

_____________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______ _ _

“It was an accident! I wasn't paying attention and ran into her at Gotham General where she working that day,” Mr. Grayson said. “Needless to say, I didn't make a good impression.”

______ _ _

_____________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______ _ _

Eventually, the Grayson charm won her over resulting in a whirlwind romance and last Saturday’s wedding.

______ _ _

_____________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______ _ _

The ceremony was performed by Judge Clint Barton. Everything was simple and tasteful; executed with military precision. The bride was escorted down the aisle by Damian Wayne, youngest brother of the groom, as a guitarist, TJ Hood, a close family friend, played “Can't Help Falling In Love.”

______ _ _

_____________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______ _ _

A touching moment came when Judge Barton asked who was giving the bride to the groom and the entire Wayne and extended Wayne household stood to say, “We do!”

______ _ _

_____________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______ _ _

A joyful reception followed an enthusiastic wedding kiss. The early hour of the wedding lended itself to a unique menu of brunch items. The guests feasted on waffles, bacon, omelettes, fruit, and among other culinary feats. 

______ _ _

_____________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______ _ _

The groom’s favorite item by far was the milk and cereal bar. The look of glee on his face as it was revealed to him was priceless.

______ _ _

_____________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______ _ _

“It was a surprise,” Ms. Wood said. “Give him a choice of anything to eat, and he'll pick cereal every time.”

______ _ _

_____________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______ _ _

Watching the pair throughout the day, it's obvious that Mr. Grayson has fallen hard for his new bride. It's easy to see why. In speaking with other family members, it was clear she took great care to make certain that everyone felt included in the day’s activities. Friends that traveled great distances to celebrate with them, were made to feel important. 

______ _ _

_____________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______ _ _

It was a day full of love and happiness, and I count myself privileged to have been a part of it.

______ _ _

_____________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______ _ _

***

______ _ _

_____________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______ _ _

“So, Mr. Grayson. Did I do you two justice?”

______ _ _

_____________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______ _ _

“It was a great human interest piece. I'm sure you scored tons of readers, Vicki. Can we call it even? Will you leave us alone?”

______ _ _

_____________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______ _ _

“For now.”

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_____________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______ _ _


	25. Ain't Going Anywhere

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A couple stolen days was all they could get, not even a real honeymoon; but they made the best of it. Such is the life of a crime fighter. Now it's back to work, and an unexpected person may provide the solution they've been looking for.
> 
> Warning the beginning of this chapter includes the habits of newlyweds.  
> The second part takes a more serious tone and there are references to spousal abuse.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hot summer night in the city, it’s really no place to be  
> Taxicabs, running the red lights and buildings blocking out the breeze  
> Forget about the world outside our windowpane  
> I pity all the suckers as they try
> 
> Let’s get lazy, lazy, lay down beside me  
> Maybe, maybe, we’ll lay through the night  
> I can’t hold onto time but I can hold onto you  
> We’ll sing lazy, lullabies til the skies turn blue
> 
> Let’s close the door to the outside and don’t you let the city in  
> Throw off the blankets, kill all the lights and pour me some ice over gin  
> Pull down all the blinds, so we can hide away  
> Sing a lullaby for you and I
> 
> "Lazy" - Toby Lightman

“Good morning, Mrs. Grayson.” Dick whispered in her ear as he pulled her closer to him.

“Mmm. Dick, I'm sleeping. ‘M tired.”

He kissed her shoulders. “I'm not.”

Madi opened one eye and looked at him. “You have an inhuman stamina.”

He caught her mouth and kissed her. “It's my superpower.”

She rolled her eyes playfully and allowed herself to be convinced into more horizontal aerobics. They had cocooned themselves into the penthouse apartment for the last couple of days. Their phones were off, and the family had mercifully been radio silent, but today ended their oasis. 

Since a real honeymoon had to be postponed due to the open case, Dick had jokingly suggested they pass the time by truly testing their athletic prowess. “Come on, it will be fun. You're flexible... I'm flexible.” Overall, their staycation of a honeymoon had been nice. They’d been carefree, shared some laughs, and a few bruises (the result of a broken chair.)

In this moment, all he wanted was the feel of her against him; one last memory to savor before it was officially over. She wrapped her legs around him tightly, drawing him closer. He kissed her and murmured an exclamation as she ran her nails down his back, scratching playfully. Her quiet laugh was a rich sound that vibrated throughout her entire body.

They laid side by side in the afterglow. “That's it,” Dick said, “I'm never leaving this bed.”

Madi gave him a light push. “No. You have work to do. Go.”

Dick threw an arm over his face dramatically. “No, I quit. I'm staying here. I've found a new reason to live.”

She grabbed the forsaken sheet and pulled it up over her. “Nope. You're cut off. Business hours are over.”

He lifted his arm enough to look at her and heaved a resigned sigh. “Fine. I'm going to take a shower.” He headed towards the bathroom. A second later he stuck his head out and asked, “Care to join me?”

She threw a pillow at him in response.

***

Dick scrolled through his phone skimming through unread messages and missed calls. Most were from the family’s press secretary. The amount from other media wanting a statement was obscene. _Good grief. I was on my honeymoon, people. _There were a few off color texts from Roy and several congratulations from friends who hadn't made the wedding.__

____

“Huh.”

____

Dick looked up. Madi was scrolling through her phone as well with an amused look on her face.

____

“I need to get a new number,” she said.

____

“Did they get to you too?” he asked. She nodded. “We’ll change it as soon as we can.”

____

She wrinkled her nose in disgust one message. The next one made her gasp. “Oh, my god. You will _never _believe who messaged me.”__

______ _ _

“Um... Green Lantern?”

______ _ _

“No. Wait-Do you know him? Never mind. Samantha.”

______ _ _

“Samantha _Cole _?__

________ _ _ _ _

“Mhm. She wants to meet.” Madi looked at Dick with raised eyebrows. “What do you think?”

________ _ _ _ _

He stood up and took the phone out of her hand to read the message.

________ _ _ _ _

MADI…IT'S BEEN A LONG TIME. CONGRATULATIONS. YOU DESERVE ALL THE HAPPINESS IN THE WORLD. CAN WE MEET? I'D REALLY LIKE TO TALK TO YOU. IF YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE ME, I UNDERSTAND.

________ _ _ _ _

He handed the phone back. “What do _you _want to do?”__

__________ _ _ _ _ _ _

“I don't know. I worry about her sometimes, given how Philip treated me, but then the horrible person inside of me thinks that she got what she asked for by running off with him. I mean, what kind of ‘best friend’ does that? Especially, considering the circumstances.”

__________ _ _ _ _ _ _

“You could ask her. Might be a chance to get some closure on that issue.”

__________ _ _ _ _ _ _

“What if it's a setup?”

__________ _ _ _ _ _ _

“I wouldn't let you go alone. You don't have to worry about that.”

__________ _ _ _ _ _ _

Madi sighed. “I need to think about it.”

__________ _ _ _ _ _ _

Dick placed a kiss on her forehead. “Of course.” An idea started forming in his head. He opened his laptop and found the file on Jo Cadiz, the current guest in the Batcave. He wondered how many of the others had a background like hers. He started going through the search engine that Tim had set up a while ago, looking for evidence of others of Jo’s ilk. He had come up with a few promising leads on the identities of the other six. Dick read over those profiles and started to see a pattern. He picked up his phone.

__________ _ _ _ _ _ _

“Hey, Bruce. I have an idea.”

__________ _ _ _ _ _ _

***

__________ _ _ _ _ _ _

Two days later, Dick stood in front of Jo’s cell again.

__________ _ _ _ _ _ _

“Pretty Bird. Long time, no see. I'd thought you'd forgotten all about me,” she said. “You're looking well. Have a little spring in your step. What's new?”

__________ _ _ _ _ _ _

“Not much. It's amazing how much better I feel when people aren't constantly trying to slice me to ribbons.”

__________ _ _ _ _ _ _

“You don't say?”

__________ _ _ _ _ _ _

“How are you?”

__________ _ _ _ _ _ _

“Bored. Daddybats won't let me play with his baby bird. Big meanie caught him over here and ran him off. No fun at all. Hoodrat stopped by the other day. I offered to spar with him, but he said it'd be a cold day in hell. Too bad. He is wound up way too tight. And the other one, the Skinny Bird, don't you people feed him?”

__________ _ _ _ _ _ _

“He's a special breed that subsists only on caffeine.”

__________ _ _ _ _ _ _

“Hmm. He ignores me. He's moody. He doesn't sleep well, does he?”

__________ _ _ _ _ _ _

Dick crossed his arms. “Why do you say that?”

__________ _ _ _ _ _ _

“Dark circles. He's not healthy.”

__________ _ _ _ _ _ _

“Aw, Jo, you almost sound like you care.”

__________ _ _ _ _ _ _

“I have nothing else to do but watch you people self destruct. Even with no sound, the show is quite amusing.” She sat down on her cot and got comfortable. “What brings you by today? I know it wasn't to hear my musings on your dysfunctional family.”

__________ _ _ _ _ _ _

“As entertaining as that is, you're right. I came to talk about your boss.”

__________ _ _ _ _ _ _

She rolled her eyes. “This again?”

__________ _ _ _ _ _ _

“No, I don't want to debate morality or the presumed similarities between us. I want to know what you know about him.”

__________ _ _ _ _ _ _

“Enough.”

__________ _ _ _ _ _ _

“Do you care what kind of man you align yourself with?”

__________ _ _ _ _ _ _

Madi had come to him and said she'd decided to meet with Samantha. He'd then told her about his theory. What he'd proposed was risky and hindered largely on what would transpire at their meeting.

__________ _ _ _ _ _ _

_ONE DAY AGO ___

____________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Samantha stepped hesitantly off the elevator into the penthouse. She was pushing a double stroller with two sleeping children.

____________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“Hello, Samantha.” Madi stood with Dick beside her in the foyer.

____________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“Hello, Madi,” she said.

____________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“You’ve met my husband, Dick”

____________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“Yes... I saw the article about your wedding. It looked beautiful.”

____________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“Thank you,” Madi said. “Come in. You wanted to talk; let's talk.” She led them into the living room where Dick gave her a kiss on the cheek and told her he'd be in the office if she needed him. “I know that you didn't come here to talk about my wedding. So spill.”

____________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Samantha rubbed her hands together nervously. “This all seemed so much easier in my head.”

____________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Madi examined her former friend as she sat anxiously trying to gather her thoughts. She looked exhausted, which would be normal with two young children. Samantha had always been thin, but she was bordering on gaunt. Her makeup looked like she was trying to hide a sallow complexion.

____________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“Samantha, are you okay?”

____________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“I'm fine. I'm just tired... Madi, I... I don't even know where to begin. I'm sorry doesn't seem to cover it.”

____________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Madi took a deep breath and let it out slowly. She'd thought about this moment so many times that first year. She'd practiced witty retorts and comebacks; sometimes even imagining punching her in the face. Today, looking at the rundown shadow of the girl she once knew, she felt her anger slipping away.

____________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“I just want to know why you did it. How could you do something like that?”

____________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Tears began to form in Samantha's eyes. “I don't have any excuses for you _or _good reasons. I'd always had a crush on him, and then you weren't together anymore. So, when he started paying attention to me, I got swept up in everything... I'm a terrible person, Madi.”__

____

____________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____

“Out of curiosity, how did he say it ended between us?”

____

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____

Samantha dabbed at her eyes with a tissue. “He said it was mutual; that you wanted different things and had decided to part ways.”

____

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____

Her jaw dropped open. “You've got to be kidding me. That lying bastard.”

____

____________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____

“No? What really happened?”

____

____________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____

“He _called _and dumped me while I was still in the hospital. It was not mutual. I was devastated.”__

______ _ _

____________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______ _ _

“That manipulative cad!” Her anger shocked Madi. “He lied to me, and I was too ashamed to go anywhere near you and learn the truth. Oh, Madi, I can't imagine how much you must hate me. _Why _did you agree to see me?”__

______ _ _

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______ _ _

The moment of truth. “To be honest, I've been worried about you.”

______ _ _

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______ _ _

“Why?” Samantha’s indignation fizzled to nerves.

______ _ _

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______ _ _

“Well, the truth is, Philip wasn't always nice to me, Samantha. He did some things that I wish I would have told someone about.”

______ _ _

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______ _ _

Samantha busied herself with checking on her boys; rearranging their blankets and rubbing their heads. “He says cruel things sometimes,” she said softly. “After Ethan, he called me lazy because I took too long to lose the weight. So with, Jackson he scrutinized everything I ate. He keeps a chart with my weight on it. He says it's to help me stay focused. Did he say things like that to you?”

______ _ _

______________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______ _ _

Madi moved closer to her. “Yes. He did other things too, Sam. He made me do things I didn't want.”

______ _ _

______________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______ _ _

She looked Madi directly in the eye. “I didn't want to have Jackson.” Samantha started crying again and returned her gaze to her children, stroking her youngest child. “I mean, I love him, but I didn't want him so soon after Ethan. Philip didn't care. I said no. I begged. I tried to get on the pill, but he’d find them and throw them away. And then it was too late. He's already talking about the next one. I can't, Madi. I can't.” She was crying freely now.

______ _ _

______________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______ _ _

Madi put her arms around her friend. “You're not alone, Sam. You don't have to do this alone.”

______ _ _

______________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______ _ _

_PRESENT DAY, IN THE BATCAVE ___

______ _ _

________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______ _ _

“What's your opinion of men who abuse women?” Dick asked Jo.

______ _ _

________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______ _ _

“Let's not pretend. You discovered my name. I assume you know my background. How do you think I feel?”

______ _ _

________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______ _ _

“Then why are you so loyal to one?”

______ _ _

________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______ _ _

Jo leapt to her feet. “Come in here and say that,” she threatened.

______ _ _

________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______ _ _

Dick held up a tablet and showed her the old engagement announcement of Philip and Madi. “Do you recognize her?”

______ _ _

________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______ _ _

She scrutinized the picture. “She was in your apartment. Did you steal his girl?”

______ _ _

________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______ _ _

“He raped her. She said no, and he didn't care because he thought it was his right as her fiancé. What do you think about that?”

______ _ _

________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______ _ _

“Where's your proof?”

______ _ _

________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______ _ _

“He's married now. To another woman. Has two kids; seventeen months old and two months old. You do the math.”

______ _ _

________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______ _ _

“So, they wanted them close together. A lot of people do.”

______ _ _

________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______ _ _

Dick hit another function on the tablet. Samantha’s voice began to play.

______ _ _

________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______ _ _

_“I didn't want him so soon... Philip didn't care. I said no. I begged. I tried to get on the pill, but he’d find them and throw them away.” ___

______ _ _

__________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______ _ _

“Doesn't sound like she wanted it to me. _That's _the kind of man you're loyal to, Jo.”__

________ _ _ _ _

__________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________ _ _ _ _

Jo threw a punch at Dick's face, a sickening crack resonating with the sound of her fist against the barrier. Traces of blood were left on the clear divider. She started pacing like a caged animal, ignoring her broken hand. “No! No, I'm not!”

________ _ _ _ _

__________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________ _ _ _ _

“He's going to prison. That is certain. We've found enough on him to make sure of it. The only reason he's not arrested yet is because of you and your brethren.”

________ _ _ _ _

__________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________ _ _ _ _

Jo wheeled to face him and all but flung herself at the partition. “What of us?” she asked in a low voice.

________ _ _ _ _

__________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________ _ _ _ _

“No one wants anyone to get hurt here, Jo. I think most of them are probably just like you. You saw what he was offering as a chance to get off the streets and learn to protect yourselves and make sure no one would hurt you again. But then what? Think about it. He sells you off like you're property. It's inhuman.”

________ _ _ _ _

__________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________ _ _ _ _

Her black eyes were filled predatory hunger again. “What are you offering? We won't be caged, Pretty Bird.”

________ _ _ _ _

__________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________ _ _ _ _

“Let us help you. When he's arrested, and he will be, the boat while be seized. Police officers will come. If you attack them, people will die on both sides. Convince your people to leave the ship now, peacefully, and come to where Batman has prepared a safe haven for you.”

________ _ _ _ _

She sneered. "A safe haven? What kind of fool do you take me for? Sounds like a prison to me." 

________ _ _ _ _

"I give you my word, it's not. You'll be monitored and supervised, yes, but you will also have freedom of movement and choice." 

________ _ _ _ _

__________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________ _ _ _ _

“What's the catch?” Jo asked skeptically.

________ _ _ _ _

__________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________ _ _ _ _

“There's no catch. The only ulterior motive is trying to prevent a disaster. We'll make sure you get whatever help you need to start over. Conditional to you not causing trouble of course. The second we get wind any of you are acting up, the deals off and that person _will _be apprehended. I promise you.”__

__________ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________ _ _ _ _ _ _

“If you're lying to me, Grayson," she used his real name to strengthen her threat, "I swear, I will come back and finish the job. And while you're bleeding out, I'll kill the woman too. The last sound you'll hear will be her choking on her own blood. Do you want to take that chance?”

__________ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________ _ _ _ _ _ _

Dick glared at her. Her threat to his new wife had made his heart falter, but he would not let her see him waiver. “I guess, we have to trust each other.”

__________ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________ _ _ _ _ _ _

***

__________ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________ _ _ _ _ _ _

It was good to be in the suit again, back in action. It had only been a few weeks since he'd been pulled off costumed work, but it had felt like a lifetime. It seemed surreal to be standing here on the docks beside the woman whose sole objective had been to kill him. He took comfort in knowing he wasn't alone this time. Bruce, Jason, Cassandra, and Tim were all there to see this through. 

__________ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________ _ _ _ _ _ _

“I hope this crazy idea of yours works, Nightwing, and they don't turn on her like a pack of rabid squirrel monkeys,” said Jason.

__________ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________ _ _ _ _ _ _

“Squirrel monkeys, Hood?” asked Tim

__________ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________ _ _ _ _ _ _

“Have you ever seen an angry monkey? Those things are mean.”

__________ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________ _ _ _ _ _ _

“Wound way too tight,” Jo said to Dick. When he stepped toward the ship, she put her newly splinted hand on his chest to halt him “I'm going on board alone. Wait here.”

__________ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________ _ _ _ _ _ _

She took off to board the vessel, and Dick made no motion to stop her. Tim and Jason looked unhappy.

__________ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________ _ _ _ _ _ _

“We're letting her go alone?” Tim asked, his voice dripping with cynicism. “I'm following her.”

__________ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________ _ _ _ _ _ _

Cassandra put a hand on his chest to stop him. “No. Trust her. We wait.”

__________ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________ _ _ _ _ _ _

About an hour later, they saw the first signs of movement, six heat signatures working their way across the ship in their direction. Dick started to feel anxious remembering the last time he had faced this group. Cassandra seemed to sense this and put a hand on his arm. 

__________ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________ _ _ _ _ _ _

“They're coming,” said Bruce. “Remember, no aggressive maneuvers unless they give us a reason. Keep your weapons holstered.”

__________ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________ _ _ _ _ _ _

Jo led the group to where they waited. There was a tense standoff while neither group knew what the other would do. Jason and Tim itched to draw their weapons. The five pairs of eyes glowered out from their shemaghs waiting for someone to twitch wrong. Jo stepped forward coming between the groups. “They've agreed.”

__________ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________ _ _ _ _ _ _

“They have gathered their things?” asked Bruce.

__________ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________ _ _ _ _ _ _

“It is done. We travel light,” she answered.

__________ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________ _ _ _ _ _ _

He led them to a van. “Red Hood, Red Robin, and Black Bat will escort you to your safe house. There will be a doctor there waiting for you. She's a friend. She only wants to look you over and make sure you don't need any medical attention. Will that be acceptable?”

__________ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________ _ _ _ _ _ _

“Why aren't you and Pretty Bird coming?” Jo asked.

__________ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________ _ _ _ _ _ _

“We have a date with the Commissioner,” answered Dick. “Don't worry we'll be monitoring you the whole way to make sure you behave.”

__________ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________ _ _ _ _ _ _

Before they left, Bruce and Dick pulled Cassandra aside. “Should we be worried?” asked Bruce.

__________ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________ _ _ _ _ _ _

“They are angry. But there is no intent to harm us. It will be fine.”

__________ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________ _ _ _ _ _ _

Bruce nodded, slightly reassured. He turned to Dick, “Let's go.”

__________ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________ _ _ _ _ _ _

***

__________ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________ _ _ _ _ _ _

Commissioner Gordon was waiting for them on top of the police headquarters. The damning files from Cole’s laptop detailing how their company had been using their factories to manufacture illegal weapons parts along with an overview of the complicated dispersal network had been uploaded to a pen drive. Further analysis of his computer had shown the two hacking operations they had uncovered in the beginning were also used to coordinate shipments, assembly points, sales transactions, and facilitate communication with all parties. It was no wonder every file they encountered was so encrypted. People of that sort wrote codes like that for entertainment; their versions of brain teasers. 

__________ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________ _ _ _ _ _ _

It was Cole’s overconfidence in those encryptions that had been their stroke of luck. Thinking them uncrackable, he'd kept detailed files. Now they had a nice present to deliver to Gordon.

__________ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________ _ _ _ _ _ _

“Everything you need for an arrest warrant is here,” Bruce said as he handed Gordon the pendrive. “You’ll need to get federal involvement as well. This reaches across state borders. We have some friends securing those ends now.”

__________ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________ _ _ _ _ _ _

“You'll also need to contact Bludhaven PD,” added Dick. “There's a cargo ship in port they used for trafficking.”

__________ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________ _ _ _ _ _ _

“I should know better than to be surprised anymore,” Gordon said, “especially in this city. Illegal arms and human trafficking? Taking street kids and having them trained as assassins? Then selling them? They just get more and more creative.” He pinched the bridge of his nose. “The wife and kids? Do we need to worry about them?”

__________ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________ _ _ _ _ _ _

“She's gone,” answered Dick. “A friend helped her get away from him. He wasn't a very nice man on several counts.”

__________ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________ _ _ _ _ _ _

“I see.” Gordon heaved a tired sighed. “Well, looks like I need to go wake up a judge for a warrant.” Batman and Nightwing had disappeared before he could finish his sentence. “I hate when he does that.”

__________ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________ _ _ _ _ _ _


	26. Time I Had

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Is it over? Did they really pull this off? Can life get back to normal?
> 
> Sleeping At Last did a beautiful interpretation of "I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles), turning it into a heart wrenching ballad.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And when I come home, yeah I know I'm gonna be  
> I'm gonna be the man who's coming home to you.  
> And when I'm dreamin', well I know I'm gonna dream  
> I'm gonna dream about the time when I'm with you.
> 
> But I would walk 500 miles  
> And I would walk 500 more  
> Just to be the man who walked 1000 miles  
> To fall down at your door
> 
> And when I'm lonely, well I know I'm gonna be  
> I'm gonna be the man who's lonely without you.  
> And if I grow old, well I know I'm gonna be  
> I'm gonna be the man who's growing old with you.
> 
> "I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles)" - Charles Reid and Craig Reid

Dick felt freer and lighter than he had in months as he swung from building to building. This was one thing he missed about Gotham. Bludhaven had nothing on Gotham’s skyline. Up here, high above the noise of the city, was a different world. Here he could fall and soar like the man on the flying trapeze. Until recently, it was where he'd felt most at home; swinging from his grapple lines, defying death and gravity. And now... 

_Home. _The word had a new meaning. It was being lost in jade green eyes. The sound of her laugh. The feel silky skin and scent of fresh lavender. It was not having saying to a word but knowing somehow she understood everything.__

__He was so proud of her. She had agreed to allow him to record her conversation in hopes of something being divulged that would help them make a case against Cole, or at least exonerate his wife. When her fears that Cole's abusive ways hadn't stopped with her were realized, she'd jumped to into action, helping her old friend escape. A few hours and a couple of phone calls later, they had taken her to the airport, where one of the WE jets waited to take Samantha to Seattle, to her parents. Tim had met them with a burner phone and an envelope containing a prepaid credit card with enough funds to help her replace the necessities right away. She was leaving with only the clothes on their backs. Tim had also thought to include information on a support group there, as well as his Wayne Enterprises contact info should she need further assistance in restarting her life. After a tearful goodbye, she and her two small children were gone._ _

__For Madi, it was closure on a painful past. She'd learned that the friend she'd thought had callously betrayed her, was really another victim of a cruel man’s manipulations. A man who would be behind bars in a matter of hours, his empire crumbling around him. He prayed the justice system would do its job, and he would stay there._ _

__Dick gazed at her now asleep in their bed. He wondered if he would ever get used to this feeling; like drowning and coming up for air all at the same time. It seemed dangerous to be this happy._ _

__He slipped into the bed with her, uniform and all, and curled around her as the big spoon. He breathed in the faint smell of lavender from her hair. It reminded him of when they'd first met._ _

__She settled into him, and turned her head for a kiss. “Mmph. Hi,” she said groggily._ _

__He nuzzled the back of her neck, “Hi.”_ _

__Reaching behind her, she clumsily patted him on the thigh and felt the fabric of his uniform. Without opening her eyes, she murmured, “You better go before my husband finds you.”_ _

__Dick smiled. “Is he the jealous type?” he asked as he pressed his lips to her shoulder._ _

__“Mmm,” she responded and seemed to drift back to sleep. After a minute or two of laying side by side, she spoke again. “I know you don't have your shoes on the bed.”_ _

__Dick laughed, and she swatted at him because it was shaking her. He jumped back. “Okay, okay.”_ _

__She rolled over onto her stomach and lifted her head. He'd woken her up now, even though it hadn't been his intent. She blinked sleepily at him. “Go shower,” was all she said._ _

__He leaned back down until he was nose to nose with her. “Alright, Bossy Boots,” he teased._ _

__“You woke me up,” she whined._ _

__“I was happy to see you.”_ _

__That got a small smile out of her. “Go shower,” she said again. “I'll be here when you get out.”_ _

__He kissed her cheek and obeyed. It was summer in Gotham, he knew he needed a shower. Even though the night had been a comparatively calm one, he'd still worked up a good sweat. Besides, the hot water always helped him relax after the adrenaline rush of a night on duty._ _

__When he came back, after the streets of Gotham had been washed from his skin, he was pleased to find that his new bride was indeed waiting for him._ _

__***_ _

__When Dick woke up the next morning, Madi was already up, dressed, and in the kitchen. Her eyes were glued to the television screen, and her hand was frozen in mid-chop of the fruit she was cutting up. He followed her gaze to the screen and saw the morning news program was covering the surprise arrest of Philip Cole._ _

__“Cole was arrested by GCPD early this morning. While not yet confirmed, there are rumors of the family company being involved in arms dealing. Warrants are being issued for patriarch Geoffrey Cole and several others...”_ _

__Dick sat down at the island counter and waited for her to register his presence. He watched as different emotions washed over her while she processed the information. Finally, she turned to him. “Is it over?”_ _

__“He's in jail. The evidence is solid. I don't think even their fancy lawyers can get them out of this one,” he answered._ _

__“And last night? It worked?”_ _

__He nodded. “They're all at a safe house on the edge of town. It will be a long road for them, but it's a start.”_ _

__“And the one that broke in? She knows who you are. Do you trust her to keep your secret?”_ _

__He swallowed hard remembering her final threat. That was a harder issue, but he hadn't been left with many options. “We'll see.”_ _

__She nodded and resumed slicing strawberries. “What happens now? Can we go home?”_ _

__He felt something soft tickling his ankles and glanced down. Phineas saying good morning and hoping for a second breakfast or early lunch. Dick picked him up and scratched him under his chin. Phinny rewarded him with purrs and kneading claws in his thigh. “Back to Bludhaven? In a couple of days. We have one more loose end to tie up.”_ _

__The look of disappointment was obvious on her face even though she tried to hide it. A couple of days was much better than “to be determined.” Still, she wanted things to return to normal._ _

___Normal _. That meant something completely different to her now. She'd begun this year in her comfortable solitude and reliable routines. Family had been a painful memory. Friendships were maintained at arms length, and romance was an illusion. One tumble on an icy street had changed everything.__ _ _

____He noticed her slight frown. “Soon. I promise.”_ _ _ _

____***_ _ _ _

____The safe house they'd chosen was on the edge of Gotham in a quieter neighborhood that was growing in popularity with twenty-somethings striking out on their own. Here, they could blend in as another group of friends and acquaintances splitting the rent in a newly renovated house._ _ _ _

____Dick knocked on the door. Jason stood behind him at the bottom of the porch steps talking into his hidden comm with someone. From the sound of it, it was probably Cassandra. Dick had wanted Cass to come with him tonight, but Jason had insisted. From the sound of things, she was still trying to convince him to stand down and let her go instead. Dick had no doubt that she had them in her sights, waiting for the first sign of trouble._ _ _ _

____The door cracked open, and he saw a brown eye peering at him._ _ _ _

____“Hi. Can we come in?”_ _ _ _

____The sun had gone down, but it was still early by vigilante standards. He'd thrown a hoodie over his Nightwing uniform, and Jason was wearing his domino mask instead of full helmet. Still, they looked slightly conspicuous given the hipster vibe of the community. Or Jason did anyway in his leather jacket and combat boots._ _ _ _

____“I brought more groceries,” Dick tried again._ _ _ _

____The eyeball opened the door wider to allow them entrance. He and Jason walked in, and the door was closed behind him. Inside, the six refugees stood strategically placed. They were surrounded, with all exits effectively cut off. Dick sensed Jason’s fingers inching toward the holster on his thigh._ _ _ _

____“We come in peace,” Dick said with a smile and held up the Vulcan hand sign hoping to break the tension._ _ _ _

____One of them snickered. “You were right, Jo.”_ _ _ _

____Jo stepped forward to take the bag from Dick. “Pretty Bird, you shouldn't have,” she said. “Relax, Hoodrat.”_ _ _ _

____“Not until your friends stand down,” Jason said._ _ _ _

____The one who had spoken first rolled her eyes, but she turned her back and walked further into the house. The others followed suit. Jo took the groceries into the kitchen and was followed by the young man who had opened the door. Another blonde male gestured for he and Jason to go to the living room. The other three were already there; they moved with military precision. The girl who had spoken, a darker complected male, and another female. Despite the room being comfortably furnished, they all sat on the floor._ _ _ _

____No one spoke again. The four young adults sat studying their guests. Dick was beginning to wish that he'd insisted on Cass instead so she could read their body language. Jo and the other young man returned from the kitchen. He sat on the floor without a word. Jo made it a point to brush past Jason as she entered the room. To his credit, Jason didn't react outwardly, but Dick knew he was a hair's breath from snapping._ _ _ _

____“So, what brings you calling?” asked Jo, she too settling onto the floor._ _ _ _

____“Just wanted to make sure everything was fine.”_ _ _ _

____“You mean, make sure we haven't killed our neighbors?” she taunted._ _ _ _

____“Have you?” asked Jason._ _ _ _

____“You'd never find the bodies if we did,” answered one of the boys, the blonde one._ _ _ _

____Dick sighed. “You all saw Dr. Thompkins?” he asked, changing tactics._ _ _ _

____“Yes. We are all of sound health,” the other boy said, Jo’s helper._ _ _ _

____“Good. Do you object to her continuing to come check on you?”_ _ _ _

____A look was exchanged between them. “No. We do not object,” answered Jo._ _ _ _

____“So, what are your names?” asked Jason. “This conversation will be less awkward if we could get some introductions. Because right now, you,” he pointed at Jo, “are still crazy chick who tried to kill my brother. And the rest of you, are her crazy friends who tried to kill my brother.”_ _ _ _

____There was an amused silence between the group as if the accusation of attempted murder was a joke._ _ _ _

____“I am Hiran,” said the youth with the tawny skin._ _ _ _

____“Kieran,” was the blond male._ _ _ _

____“Dana,” said the girl who'd snickered._ _ _ _

____“Eli,” answered the brunette helper._ _ _ _

____“Ava,” said the third female, a blonde._ _ _ _

____“And you know I'm Jo,” she said. “And you two? I don't think we're trusted to know you're real names yet, are we?”_ _ _ _

____“No,” Jason answered._ _ _ _

____Jo smiled slyly. She was smart, and had probably quickly deduced the identities his family after discovering his. However, right now it looked like she would keep that to herself._ _ _ _

____“Very well, Red Hood,” she said his name mockingly. “I'm sure we can come up with plenty of things to call you.”_ _ _ _

____Jason was about to fire off a biting retort when Eli interrupted._ _ _ _

____“What about Ming-Na?”_ _ _ _

____The group exchanged another look. This was the first crack in their tough veneer._ _ _ _

____“Is Ming-Na the girl that was recently sold?” Dick asked._ _ _ _

____“Yes,” answered Ava. “What are you doing about it?”_ _ _ _

____They'd been monitoring Prado’s movements. So far everywhere he went, she'd been in tow. There had been no signs of mistreatment, but she herself was heavily guarded in downtime. If she'd been conditioned to obey and protect whoever was her “boss,” extracting her would prove tricky._ _ _ _

____“We're working on it,” Dick assured them. “That's the main reason I'm here. Is there anything you can tell me about her that would help us? We want to get her out, but if she doesn't come willingly, it might be problematic.”_ _ _ _

____Dana unfastened the necklace around her neck and handed to Dick. He inspected it and noticed that the pendent was a heptagon with their initials carved into it. He saw they all had identical necklaces. “Give that to her.”_ _ _ _

____“She'll know it came from one of us,” said Kieran. “She'll trust you then.”_ _ _ _

____Dick nodded and tucked it into a compartment in his gauntlet. Their eyes were sharp on him but hopeful too. He saw a group whose loyalty to each other had been forged in blood and hardship. Jason saw it, too._ _ _ _

____“We'll bring her back,” he said._ _ _ _

____***_ _ _ _

____Dick and Jason left the safe house and rode their bikes deeper into the city. The meeting had gone well. Dick felt like they had made the right call. After seeing their concern for their missing compatriot, he knew the humanity hadn't been beaten out of them._ _ _ _

____“Penny One, who’s on Prado tonight?” asked Dick through his comm._ _ _ _

____“I believe Spoiler is tracking his whereabouts this evening,” Alfred answered. “I'll send you their last known location.”_ _ _ _

____As he and Jason made their way, he opened a channel and called Stephanie. He was hoping they could get this done tonight. He wanted to finish this once and for all._ _ _ _

____“Spoiler, how's your night so far? Anything exciting happening?” he asked._ _ _ _

____“Oh, you know, just following the kingpin of the Norte Soberano cartel on his way to meet with some underlings. The usual for a Friday night. Care to join me? Might get interesting,” Stephanie answered._ _ _ _

____“I'm with Red Hood. We're coming to you. Does Prado have his new friend with him?”_ _ _ _

____“Sure does.”_ _ _ _

____“Great. Our priority is to extract her.”_ _ _ _

____“Well, Nightwing, your timing couldn't be better. Because I just heard him say that after this they are going to the airport. If we don't do it now, we may not get another chance. Not without chasing them back to Brazil,” she informed him._ _ _ _

____Dick swore to himself. _No pressure. _“Then let’s spoil his plans a bit, shall we?” Dick quipped.___ _ _ _

______Stephanie groaned. Dick thought he heard Jason and Cass groan over the comm too._ _ _ _ _ _

______They arrived at an apartment building in the Narrows. Stephanie was watching from the balcony of the adjacent building. Dick and Jason stayed down below. Cass joined them wordlessly._ _ _ _ _ _

______“I thought we might need back up,” Jason explained her presence._ _ _ _ _ _

______Dick nodded. It had been a good call. As it was, they were going in unprepared, against heavily armed and trigger happy thugs. Bruce would have his head if any of them got hurt._ _ _ _ _ _

______“So, what's your plan?” Stephanie asked. “Don't tell me you were planning on Nightwing-ing it.”_ _ _ _ _ _

______Jason groaned again. “What is up with you two and your puns?”_ _ _ _ _ _

______“We wait,” Cass said._ _ _ _ _ _

______“Why?” asked Jason, “We could take out the dealers while we're at it.”_ _ _ _ _ _

______“Too dangerous,” she said. “We get them after.”_ _ _ _ _ _

______Dick knew that Jason was about to argue. The Narrows was typically his territory. He viewed this meeting and its repercussions as his responsibility._ _ _ _ _ _

______“Black Bat is right, Hood,” Dick said. “I saw the video from that night. Cole promoted them as ‘vigilante insurance.’ If we bust in now, there's no way someone won't get hurt. We wait until they're done, get Ming-Na, and then clean up the mess up there.”_ _ _ _ _ _

______Dick knew that under the red helmet, Jason was glaring at him. “Fine.”_ _ _ _ _ _

______“Well, guys, get ready to party,” Stephanie said, “because they're coming out.”  
She started descending the fire escape. “He's got the girl and one other thug with him. How do you want to play this, Nightwing?”_ _ _ _ _ _

______“Let me handle her,” he said, “You guys keep the others off us.”_ _ _ _ _ _

______The four of the them descended on the waiting car. Cassandra quickly incapacitated the driver. Minutes later, Prado walked out with his entourage to find Nightwing, Red Hood, Black Bat, and Spoiler all lounging on top of his Rolls Royce Phantom._ _ _ _ _ _

______“Is the legroom really as great as they claim?” asked Spoiler._ _ _ _ _ _

______“You know, I'm really more of an Aston Martin man myself,” Dick said. “I mean, sure the Rolls screams luxury, but an Aston is faster.”_ _ _ _ _ _

______Prado sneered. “You all have a death wish.”_ _ _ _ _ _

______“No, you do, Prado, coming into my neighborhood,” said Jason._ _ _ _ _ _

______“Ah, yes, but I don't have to worry about you anymore,” Prado said._ _ _ _ _ _

______“Oh? And why is that?”_ _ _ _ _ _

______Prado snapped his fingers and Ming-Na stepped forward. Jason drew his guns reflexively. Prado’s other goon drew his gun and trained it on Jason. In a split second, the other’s had leapt to offensive stances, ready to act. “Now, this should be interesting,” Prado mused._ _ _ _ _ _

______They knew the thug needed put down first. A stray bullet harming an innocent was not something any of them wanted to risk. Jason fired as Cassandra lunged to seize the weapon. A targeted strike had him unconscious before he knew what hit him._ _ _ _ _ _

______Ming-Na unsheathed two knives and eyed her targets. The blade cut through the air in a graceful arc aiming towards Jason’s back. Cassandra saw the glint of the metal and grabbed Jason, pulling him forward so that the blade sliced only through his jacket. At the same moment, Dick dove to tackle her._ _ _ _ _ _

______Stephanie was rounding on Prado himself. He was reaching into his jacket to pull out a gun. She hit his arm with one of her escrimas and landed a second blow to his knee. He cursed at her. She grabbed the gun and threw it away from them. He called her a vulgar name, and she punched him in the face. She turned to see where the girl was._ _ _ _ _ _

______She was slashing at Dick who was just barely keeping out of reach. He was talking to her, using her name, but she didn't seemed deterred. Dick was trying to get something out of his gauntlet._ _ _ _ _ _

______“Ming-Na, stop! I spoke to Jo and Kieran,” he said fumbling as he dodged her strike. Hearing the names of her friends seemed to distract her. “And Ava and Hiran.” There! His fingers closed around the chain, the heptagonal pendant dangling for her to see. He held it out to her. “And Eli and Dana. They sent us to bring you home.”_ _ _ _ _ _

______Ming-Na froze in mid-strike. Cassandra had been about to pounce, ready to intervene. She eyed the girl’s body language intently; still coiled, ready to spring at the slightest sign of aggression._ _ _ _ _ _

______“They sent you?” she asked. Dick continued to hold the necklace out to her. She reached for it, and looked it over. “Where are they? What have you done to them?” Her voice was full of accusation._ _ _ _ _ _

______“Safe,” Cassandra answered._ _ _ _ _ _

______Ming-Na spun around and saw that she had let her guard down enough for Cassandra to be close enough to strike her. The two women regarded one another for a moment, having a silent conversation. Finally, Ming-Na nodded and tucked away her knives. “Take me to them.”_ _ _ _ _ _

______Prado uttered another derogatory expletive, this time direct at Cassandra and Ming-Na. Jason kicked him in the groin and then knocked him unconscious. “Pig,” he grumbled as he zip tied Prado's hands._ _ _ _ _ _

______Ming-Na followed Dick back to his bike. Along the way he explained about the safe house and the help they were being offered. He told her why the others had chosen to leave. She nodded, but didn't reply._ _ _ _ _ _

______This time when he knocked on the door, it swung open. The group piled out of the house and embraced their friend. As quickly as they had descended, they ushered her inside and shut the door leaving Dick on the porch. He smiled to himself and walked down the steps. _They'll be okay. _____ _ _ _ _

________He was about to start his bike when he heard the door open again. Jo walked down the porch steps and stopped in front of him._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“Thank you, Pretty Bird.” She smiled. It was a real one, not the predatory smirk he'd always seen before. “I'm glad I didn't kill you.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________He laughed at the absurd comment. “That makes two of us.” He started his bike, and she walked back to the house._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________He radioed in to say he was headed in for the night. Jason, Cassandra, and Stephanie had stayed behind to finish taking care of the Prado business. Tim had answered. Which was strange because he was supposed to have left for New York an hour ago. He said something had come up, but wouldn't elaborate._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________When he pulled into the Bunker under Wayne Tower. Bruce and Damian were waiting for him. In civies. Damian’s eyes were red, the way they looked when he was trying hide he was upset._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“What’s going on, Bruce?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________Bruce looked down, and Dick’s blood froze. “You need to change clothes, and we need to go to Gotham Memorial.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I had a hard time deciding what to do with this group. I had written myself into a bit of a corner. In the end, I decided to give them the opportunity for redemption.
> 
> In the beginning it seemed like they would play a large part of the villain role, but in actuality they too had been deceived and manipulated by the true villain of the story. 
> 
> This is an aspect of this story that I felt like I wasn't one hundred percent happy with the way it wrapped up. How do you guys feel about it?
> 
> I'm playing with another story line set a few years in the future that would flush out these characters a bit more. Any thoughts on this too?


	27. Keep on Hoping

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> He finally had something good; something real. Now it could be gone just like everything else in his life.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> When I was younger I believed that dreams came true  
> Now I wonder  
> Cause' I've seen much more dark skies than blue  
> Now I wonder  
> I keep on praying for a blue sky  
> I keep on searching through the rain  
> I keep on thinking of the good times   
> Will they ever come again  
> Now I wonder  
> "I Wonder" - Chris Isaak

_Bruce looked down, and Dick’s blood froze. “You need to change clothes, and we need to go to Gotham Memorial.” ___

__Dick's heart started to pound. “Is Alfred okay? Tim answered when I called in just now.”_ _

__“Alfred is fine,” Bruce answered. “He's already there. That's why Tim is on comms.”_ _

__“Bruce, tell me what the hell is going on!”_ _

__“There was an accident. Madi...”_ _

__He didn't hear the rest of it. Bruce's words faded from his ears and were replaced by the sound of the bone crunching thwack of two bodies hitting the ground that he was always trying to escape. The ground dropped out from under him. He didn't remember falling or know how long he had been there. When Dick regained awareness of his surroundings, he was on his hands and knees with Damian at his side._ _

__“Come on, Grayson,” he said. “We have to go upstairs. You need to change clothes so we can leave.”_ _

__Dick closed his eyes again as Damian helped him up. “Damian, tell me, is she...?”_ _

__“No, Grayson. But her injuries are serious.”_ _

__Damian guided him into the elevator. The elevator from the Bunker to the penthouse opened in the office. He led Dick to the bedroom and pulled out clothes for him to change into._ _

__“Do you need assistance? I know you're in shock.”_ _

__This shook him to his senses somewhat. “No, Little D. I’ll be out in a minute.”_ _

__Damian nodded in acknowledgment and left the room to wait for him. Dick quickly washed the night off and changed clothes. They headed down to the regular parking garage where Bruce was waiting. On the way to the hospital, one thought played in his mind._ _

__“Bruce, do you think this was revenge? Do you think that Cole did this?”_ _

__Bruce shook his head. “It doesn't seem like it, but we're looking into it.”_ _

__“'It doesn't seem like it?'” Dick asked._ _

__“Sometimes it really is a matter of wrong place, wrong time, Dick. There's nothing any of us could've done to prevent this. Nothing _you _could've done.”___ _

____Dick was numb by the time, Bruce and Damian led him into a private conference room. A cup of water was put into his hands by someone, and he drank it robotically. _What was the last thing I said to her? Did I tell her I loved before I left? How long has she been here alone? Why did it take so long to notify me? _____ _ _

______A doctor entered the room and closed the door. She sat down in front of them with a neutral expression._ _ _ _ _ _

______“Mr. Grayson, I'm Dr. Romanoff, the attending for your wife's care.” Dick heard himself mumble a greeting. “Your wife was struck by a vehicle this morning and sustained serious injuries. She's stable, but critical. The next twenty-four hours will be paramount. Are you understanding me, Mr. Grayson?”_ _ _ _ _ _

______“Yes.” He felt an arm around his shoulder, steadying him. Bruce's._ _ _ _ _ _

______Dr. Romanoff proceeded to review her injuries with Dick. He was thankful that Bruce and Damian were there listening too. His muddled brain could only comprehend every third word she was saying, but what he caught made him sicker. Severe blood loss. Liver and splenic lacerations. Unstable pelvic fracture. Multiple surgeries. She kept talking and talking; listing all the ways Madi had suffered. Alone. Finally, Dick couldn't listen to it anymore._ _ _ _ _ _

______“Stop,” he said. “You said she was brought in this morning. Why was I just _now _notified?”___ _ _ _ _ _

________The doctor folded her hands and looked down her nose at Dick. She let her cold gaze fall to Bruce and Damian as well. “She had no ID on her. Nothing we could use to contact a family member. And no one came looking for her. It was only because someone from this hospital recognized her that you were even found, and we had to jump through quite a few hoops to do that. Please do not insinuate that we were lax about doing our job. You're newlyweds aren't you, Mr. Grayson? You _didn't notice _your wife hadn't checked in all day?”___ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________Dick felt Damian’s hand on him now, reassuring him. But Dr. Romanoff was right; he hadn't spoken to her all day. He'd left for the manor right after breakfast that morning, as she was going for her run. He'd spent the day with Tim putting together resources for Jo and her group, trying to outline a kind of “reintroduction to society” program. They'd been so absorbed in it, they'd lost all sense of time. Then he had left with Jason._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________Bruce spoke before he could. “Before you cast judgment on my son, you should know that he was buried in meetings until an hour ago. He has been working tirelessly trying to secure aid for a group of recently liberated child soldiers. An effort that his wife supported so much, she willing postpone their honeymoon until he could finish.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________Chastised, Dr. Romanoff stood and gestured towards the door. “Let me take you to her. Your grandfather, Mr. Pennyworth, is with her now.” She guided them down the hall and stopped in front of one of the critical care cubicles. “Your wife is sedated to minimize her stress level. If she's doing well, we'll start weaning her off in a couple of days. You can go in two at a time.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________Dick’s feet were rooted to the floor. On the other side of the sliding door was his wife. He had faced down murderous psychopaths and charged headfirst into battles hopelessly outmatched, but he'd never felt terror like this before. He'd finally found his missing piece. And now she might die. He felt an urge to run._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“Grayson, go in. Don't be a coward.” Damian's words were harsh, but the hand on his shoulder remained comforting. “She needs you,” he added quietly._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________Dick swallowed down his fear and stepped through the door._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________***_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________Hours blurred together into another day. Dick was aware that his family was taking turns sitting with him and Madi. He had a vague memory of Jason and Damian quietly arguing over who was going to stay at one point. He remembered Bruce making sure he ate something._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________She had started bleeding internally again, and was rushed off to another surgery. Tim was sitting with him now. Waiting. At some point he realized his face was wet but couldn't recall starting to cry. Tim’s arm was around his shoulders._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________Bruce had been right. It hadn't been retribution. Just a poor guy coming home from third shift, exhausted from pulling overtime to make ends meet, and had run a red light. There was no villain to blame. Dick didn't know why, but that seemed to make it worse._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“She's out of surgery,” Dr. Romanoff said. “She's a fighter.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

___________She's a fighter. _Dick thought about the months of recovery she would have ahead of her. He couldn't help but scoff at the irony of her now being a patient in the clinic she'd worked at.__ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________At some point, Alfred made him leave to shower again and change clothes. Apparently, even this was no excuse for poor hygiene. To be fair though, Dick wasn't even sure what day it was._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________As he walked back to her room, a familiar blonde head caught his attention in the waiting room. Anger boiled up as the tenacious woman approached him. “You have ten seconds to get out of here before I call security,” Dick hissed._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________“Dick, I'm not here for a story,” Vicki said. “Well, I am, but not in the way you think.” Dick continued to glare at her. “I heard about what happened, but I'm covering it to keep the others off you. So they'll leave you alone.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________“I don't buy it, Vicki.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________“Think about it, Dick. How many other reporters have you seen up here? You think it hasn't leaked yet?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________He analyzed her words. “Why?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________“Because you deserve to handle this in private. I'm not a complete monster.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________“That's yet to be seen, Vicki,” he said, shaking his head. “Stay out of the way. Keep the everyone else away. If you can do that I won't call security, and you can hang out here trying pick up breadcrumbs.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________“Fair enough.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________Dick shook his head. "Why do I always feel like I'm making a deal with the Devil when I talk to you?" Dick pushed past her and continued on to Madi’s room where Damian was keeping vigil. The teen sat beside her bed holding her hand. Dick had heard his voice quietly speaking as he entered the CCU cubicle._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________“Any change?” Dick asked. They had started to lower her sedation._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________Damian shook his head no and stood. “I'm going to get coffee, do you want anything?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________“No,” Dick answered as he took his place by the bed. Like Damian, he slid his hand into hers. When his brother was gone, Dick laid his head down on the bed and looked up at her. “Madi, I'm sorry,” he said. “I'm sorry you were alone. I'm sorry I was gone when you needed me.” He closed his eyes and kept going. “But I need you to wake up. If you don't then you can't tell me I was a jerk... And we still need to go on a real honeymoon, Madi. I owe you that... There's so much I want to share with you. I just found you. I can't lose you, too. You said it when we met for the second first time, we're kindred spirits. You're my soulmate, Madi. I love you.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________He didn't move; even when Damian came back and sat in the other chair. He stayed resting his head on the edge of the bed, holding her hand. Eventually, he drifted off to sleep listening to the sound of the monitors. In his dreams, he felt a gentle hand caress his hair._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don't hate me!
> 
> If we're going to have a frank discussion about what if this story were canon, then let's be honest, Madi wouldn't stand a chance. Civilian love interests seem to have a short shelf life. However, I'm not completely evil. Only mostly. So, I will present you dear readers with options:
> 
> If you prefer an angsty ending with a whisper of hope, you can stop here. If you want an ending with more fluff, stay tuned for the next chapter. 
> 
> At the end of the next chapter will be a preview of the next long fic I'm working on. If you prefer angsty but want to see it, just skip the fluffy feels.


	28. Won't Be Afraid

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Madi once again finds herself taking the step from "before" to "after." This time she has a whole family to lean on.
> 
> In truth, originally the last chapter was the final chapter, but then I got hit with a burst of inspiration for a bit of fluff. I hope you all approve.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> When the night has come  
> And the land is dark  
> And the moon is the only light we'll see  
> No, I won't be afraid  
> Oh, I won't be afraid  
> Just as long as you stand  
> Stand by me
> 
> If the sky that we look upon  
> Should tumble and fall  
> Or the mountain should crumble to the sea  
> I won't cry, I won't cry  
> No, I won't shed a tear  
> Just as long as you stand  
> Stand by me
> 
> "Stand By Me" - Ben E. King

“You don't want your jello?”

“Absolutely not. Jello weirds me out. It… jiggles,” Madi answered. “You can have it.”

Jason enthusiastically accepted the green offering. Damian made a disgusted face.

“I agree with Gray. Jello hardly qualifies as victuals.”

“Are you really insisting on calling her that, Demon?” Tim asked as he adjusted the projector he'd brought. Dick and Cassandra were hanging up a white sheet on the wall so they could watch a movie. “She has a name.”

“I like it. Leave him alone,” defended Madi. “Where's Steph? You're nicer to him when she's around.”

“In class. She'll be around later, so I have to get all my jabs in now.”

“What are we watching?” Dick asked as he settled onto the rollaway bed that he'd been camped out on for the past few weeks. Cassandra, being the smallest of them, had carefully lain beside Madi on her bed.

“‘An Ideal Husband,’” Madi said.

Damian groaned. “Is this an instructional video for Grayson?” He was popping a wheelie in the wheelchair stationed in her room.

Jason threw the spoon at his younger brother. “No, brat. It's Oscar Wilde. Did the League skip nineteenth century English literature in your education?”

Damian caught the spoon and threw it back. Cassandra snatched it out of the air. “No fighting. It's movie time.”

“I wish we had popcorn,” Tim pouted.

“If I can't have popcorn; nobody gets popcorn,” declared Madi. “I could ask for more Jello, if you want.”

_“No, thank you,” _Tim shook his head adamantly.__

__There was a knock, and her hospital room door opened. Dr. Beck from the clinic in Bludhaven walked in. He took in the scene with amusement; pleased that his was solitary employee now had so many people in her life._ _

__“Having a party?” he asked._ _

__“Sort of. I go home tomorrow,” Madi said with a smile._ _

__“I know. I came to go over your therapy and recovery plan. Are you ready to kick butt and take names?”_ _

__Madi looked around the room at her family. The bantering brothers. Serene Cassandra. Her husband who was giving her the smile that still made her blush. Bruce and Alfred appeared in the doorway, having come straight from a meeting at Wayne Enterprises to join them for the afternoon. Stephanie was arriving soon._ _

__It was going to be an arduous road back, but she knew this time she wouldn't be walking alone. “Absolutely.”_ _

 

 

*********************************************************************  


 

Here is a preview of the long fic I'm working on right now. This is an rough draft of the beginning. The plan right now is for it to have a rotating point of view. I'd love your thoughts.

 

“Hello, safe house.”

Jason Todd dropped helmet on the floor and glanced around and his new haven. He was exhausted. And pissed off. People trying to blow him up tended to have that effect.

This wasn't one of his, but it would due. _Not like I have a choice. _All of his safe houses had been burned. Literally. A parting gift from the last reincarnation of the Black Mask.__

__A cell phone on the kitchen counter started ringing. Reluctantly, he answered it._ _

__“Todd,” came Damian Wayne’s voice, the irritated tone from earlier gone. Jason smiled to himself. The little brat’s voice had lost all its childishness. When did he grow up?_ _

__“Demon Spawn.”_ _

__“Tt.” Some things never change. “I trust you found everything in order?”_ _

__Jason looked around the utility apartment. It had been furnished with the basics, but wasn't lacking for anything. “You did good, D.”_ _

__The line was quiet for a beat. “I'm glad you find it acceptable.”_ _

__Jason hadn't expected to feel emotional hearing the kid’s voice again. _It's probably because I'm so tired. _“Look, I'm going to hang up now. I need to clean up and hit the sack.”___ _

____“Of course.” There was another pause. “Do you think you will be rested enough to come over tomorrow? I-Alfred is anxious to see you.”_ _ _ _

____Jason closed his eyes. “Yeah, D. I’m anxious to see everyone too.”_ _ _ _

____***_ _ _ _

____In a break from his traditional stiff upper lip demeanor, Alfred engulfed Jason in a hug when he saw him. “Oh, my dear boy.”_ _ _ _

____“Alfred, I wasn't dead,” Jason said when the butler finally released him. “I was just undercover.”_ _ _ _

____“For far too long,” Alfred chastised him._ _ _ _

____Jason couldn't argue with that. What was meant to be a routine take down had gotten very complicated and lasted far longer than he had planned. “Well, it's over now, and I'm here. What have I missed?”_ _ _ _

____The two old souls sat in the kitchen drinking their tea while Alfred caught him up on what had occurred in the last year._ _ _ _

____“So, Tim still hasn't popped the question?”_ _ _ _

____“No, but Miss Stephanie’s relocation to New York does indicate things may be moving in that direction.”_ _ _ _

____“And Cass is in Bludhaven now?”_ _ _ _

____“She patrolled there some years ago with Master Timothy when the two of them were younger. Her familiarity with the city made her the logical choice,” Alfred replied._ _ _ _

____“Logical choice for what?” Jason asked._ _ _ _

____“Guardian of Bludhaven,” Damian supplied as he entered the room. Jason had to do a double take at the nineteen year old in front of him. He was almost the spitting image of Bruce now. Only noticeable differences the variation of his skin tone and shape of his eyes, which he'd inherited from his mother. The rest was all his father. Damian smiled in his reserved way when he saw his older brother. “Todd, it is good to see you.”_ _ _ _

____“You too, D.” Damian nodded in acknowledgment of the sentiment. “So, what is this about Bludhaven? Is Dick not patrolling anymore? Alfred said he and Madi were doing well.”_ _ _ _

____“They are,” Damian answered. “Grayson has been cutting back and requested a partner.”_ _ _ _

____“And you, Damian? You didn't jump at the chance to fight crime with Golden Boy in a city of your very own?”___ _

______“Gotham is my city,” Damian said. “With Brown and Drake only here part time and you unavailable, it left a heavy load to Father and I. Gordon still patrols, but she has been returning the to computer espionage of her former years more and more.”_ _ _ _ _ _

______Jason felt a twinge of guilt. It had been a crap time to be indisposed. Let alone, be a source of their headaches. His mission had been important, and they all had respected it; even though it had brought hardships on most of them._ _ _ _ _ _

______“She always was a nerd,” Jason said, trying to make light of the situation._ _ _ _ _ _

______Damian smiled his reserved smile again. “Tt.” He turned his attention to Alfred, “I'm going to get some sleep before tonight’s patrol. Do you have need of me before I do?”_ _ _ _ _ _

______Alfred shook his head, “No, Master Damian. Take your leave.”_ _ _ _ _ _

______Damian nodded again. “Todd, before you leave, Father wishes to speak with you. You will find him in his usual office.”_ _ _ _ _ _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to everyone who read this story of mine. Like I said in the beginning, this was the first thing I've written in a decade and was super nervous to post it. Thanks for all the comments and kudos! They make my day!
> 
> I'd love it if you left a review so I know what I need to improve on. Thanks again!


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